Unless you’re the head of a technology company, the actual specifics of how site security measures that are currently in place function might appear as a hazy and vague subject to you. The fact that some companies cross off site or information security from their list of immediate priorities is an unsettling pattern that needs acknowledgment.
The Speed of Technological Development and the Sophistication of Hacking
However, since technology and the Internet itself is advancing at such as rapid pace, the methods that unscrupulous individuals are using to penetrate site defenses and security are also growing just as rapidly. So, when your real estate company has been relying on an online security system that’s relatively outdated and hasn’t been updated in a long time, it’s very easy for important and sensitive information like financial or account details to be hijacked as a result.
One thing that the hackers and the Internet, in general, take an unforgiving stance towards is security - especially if your site hosts some especially valuable information online. On the web, you are exposed to a variety of threats as people will take up random opportunities at unpredictable moments to test the security of sites that appear outdated or weak. Therefore, it’s prudent to possess a significant grasp over the state of your site’s security features and dedicate a suitable amount of vigilance towards the issue.
The Problem of Hacking Affects Everyone
Believing that hacking is an issue that only affects the biggest of companies and the most profitable businesses is a flawed and dangerous line of thought. While it is true that the most frequent target of hacking attacks and similar malicious actions are the largest businesses or the people or organizations with the most presence online - it’s unwise to use this as an excuse to skimp on the costs of online defenses. Let’s go over some major examples to highlight this point.
Online marketplaces that involve large scale monetary exchanges or bidding systems are often the most vulnerable due to the transitory nature of their finances. Recently, Bitcoin has experienced a meteoric rise in its value and it is currently sitting at an astronomical $3,450 per Bitcoin.
In the past, when Bitcoin experienced its first big rise in value from obscurity to around $1,000, Mt. Gox, one of the biggest Bitcoin dealers at the time, was hit by a devastating cyber attack. In the most likely circumstance, Mt. Gox simply hadn’t had the opportunity to adjust the infrastructure of its security systems to fit the value of the digital currency it was handling. The rise in value led to more expert and qualified hackers attempting to break into the site.
This was no small heist either. The total value of the online currency which simply vanished into midair: $460 million. Such a rise in value and a corresponding increase in the intensity of hacking attacks isn’t an unrealistic scenario if you’re in real estate. Think about what happens if your company gets a couple of lucrative contracts or deals with clients only to have key financial information compromised as a result of focusing too closely on the business side. If you’re thinking about undertaking any significant growth marketing campaigns, then you should also give proportional thought to how you are going to protect the returns on those investments you’re making for your business’ growth.
How to Take Preventative Measures That Pay Off
Negligence of site security is like not paying for health insurance, you might be healthy now but you don’t know when or how severe your health issues might be in the future. A lot of sites that get hit by hacking attacks suffer losses because they simply didn’t believe that their security needed to be updated based on the number of years they’ve gone on conducting business without a problem. However, that rationale comes back to bite even the biggest and most well-established organizations.
In a strange twist, this applies even to government-sponsored health care organizations themselves. Consider the example of Britain’s NHS, one of the best healthcare systems in the world. The NHS’ databases were recently hit by a huge ransomware attack that immobilized the services in its wake.
If the best hackers can penetrate so deeply into government organizations, your run-of-the-mill opportunist is probably capable of tackling something along the lines of a small business that doesn’t pay that much attention to its security, to begin with. Don’t allow yourself to be an example or statistic of those hacking attacks. FireEye is a company that’s trusted by a number of security professionals and even foreign governments due to the multilateral ability of its software to prevent hacking attacks and its additional capability of responding to simultaneous hacking attempts. Paired with its in-depth malware analysis tools, your business will be able to take confidence in its online sales and market and have great peace of mind when it comes to identifying security risks and issues.
