Hackers Want to Keep You in the Dark

When it comes to hackers, they are shrouded in darkness and treachery. They lurk in the shadows, waiting for us to make a mistake and to steal our life savings, or other equally nefarious things. But there are a few assumptions that they make concerning their prey, and they wish to hide these from us at all costs.

When it comes to protecting your company's network, it should be fairly obvious that you shouldn't make any assumptions. However, we're all human, and we can make mistakes, especially if we aren't careful. One way to look at how to protect ourselves from hackers is to look at things from a hacker's point of view.

If I Were a Hacker...
If k_Street Consulting, LLC were a group of hackers, we know that the first thing we would look for is a way to get into a network, be it internal or external, online or offline. Once a hacker gets into a network, it's fairly difficult to stop them. Never click on any suspicious links or open attachments from an unidentified sender.

But don't stop there - be skeptical of the real world too. Sure, you might think mentioning your email address to someone you don't know isn't a big deal, but how can you know that person won't be sending malicious software to your inbox later on? Even worse, what if someone you didn't know started moseying around the office? If they managed to get access to an employee's computer, there's no telling what they could be capable of.

You should also be exceptionally careful about phone calls asking you for personal information. Don't be afraid to put them in their place, especially if they are trying to pose as someone you know, or are asking for information such as your social security number or bank account number.

Pick Off the Lazy People
Hackers try to take advantage of people who are indifferent toward their data. If the data isn't protected, it can be either one of two things - either you think you don't need it, or you haven't gotten around to doing it yet. According to social network engineer Chris Hadnagy, "the level of paranoia you display should be commensurate to the info you are protecting," and a lot can be learned from this wise statement.

You wouldn't leave your child unprotected and alone in Central Park, so why would you leave your business's networks vulnerable to attacks from people who could damage it beyond repair?

Don't Let Vanity Blind You
If you're not good at keeping your data secure, you're visible to hackers. Hackers know exactly where you are, and how to get to you. One good way to avoid hackers is to practice humility and always consider that there is a chance for everything. Even if you are ever-vigilant, there is always room for human error - and hackers know that better than anyone.

The Mighty Fall
Those with a big online presence are putting themselves right in the crosshairs of hackers. You might recall certain websites requesting email addresses in order to sign up and get a valuable research material, or newsletter. You know you'll never visit that site again, but they still have your email address on file. Hopefully, they don't have your main email address.

Keep track of what you do with your address. Otherwise, you risk being compromised or targeted by hackers using phishing methods or malicious software. Never believe for one second that you are invincible, and always be wary of the dangers that exist just beyond your borders.

k_Street Consulting, LLC might not be professional hackers, but we know how to protect your business from one. Give us a call at (202) 640-2737 and we'll make sure you don't get coerced or trapped into handing out your personal information!