What do Sony Pictures and U.S. CENTCOM have in common? They were both hacked. Last month, Sony Pictures was hacked due to the release of its film, The Interview. As if that wasn’t enough, U.S. CENTCOM’s Twitter and YouTube pages were hacked this month. These recent breaches of security just goes to show how vulnerable your private data is. If the folks at U.S. CENTCOM can’t prevent a hack, what chance do the rest of us stand?
There are a variety of computer services and computer repair options at your disposal. However, the World Wide Web is far from secure. To illustrate just how precarious Internet and network use can be, here are three inconvenient facts regarding global cyber security (or lack thereof):
- The FBI is Concerned: In 2012, then-FBI Director Robert Mueller expressed his concern to the public that “down the road, the cyber threat will be the number one threat to the country.” He felt that if left unconfronted, cybercrime will pose a greater national security threat than terrorism. Indeed, over the past six years the federal government has seen their cyber security breaches increase by 680%! Coming from the FBI Director, this should give us pause.
- Malware is Everywhere: Malware, or malicious computer programs such as viruses, is increasing at an alarming rate. In 2013, more than 145,000 new malware programs were created for mobile devices alone. That was more than three times the number of programs detected in 2012! Social media sites aren’t immune, either. More than 600,000 Facebook accounts are breached everyday, and nearly 10% of all social network users have received at least one cyber-threat.
- Cyber Criminals Are Everywhere, Too: Cybercrime is responsible for over $100 billion worth of damages every year. It is thought that there are cyber criminals in over 200 countries around the world. What is most disconcerting, however, is that nearly 53% of all American businesses do not believe they will be able to stop cyber crimes in the next 12 months. With confidence down the hole, cyber security experts are even more concerned about the state of our national cyber security.
Although IT management, IT support, and network repair are all needed services, the fact remains that cyber security should be on the forefront of any computer services consideration. More info like this.