Despite Technology’s Shortcomings, People Are Still the Root of Hacking Attacks

People often blame technology for not doing its job in the face of hacking attacks. While this is certainly true, only half of the fault lies with the technology. The other half, whether we like to admit or not, comes from the people using technology. This brings up an interesting ultimatum; only humans can prevent hacking attacks from happening altogether. If people don’t protect their data, it’s only natural that it will eventually get attacked.

Dave Merkel, senior vice president and CTO of security agency FireEye, tells Aimee Chanthadavong of ZDNet that organizations are spending more on technology to protect against hacking, but are still behind: “[...] one of the reasons behind this is because online attacks are often misunderstood as a technology problem, when it's not. In turn, organizations look in the wrong places for solutions.”

From this standpoint, it makes perfect sense. If a lackluster technician implements a solution, it’s only natural that the solution will be subpar. If it isn’t configured properly, or isn’t being updated continuously, your business’s network will be exposed. If the operating systems aren’t up to date with the latest patches and security updates, your network could be vulnerable to all manners of threats. If the technician isn’t performing these primary responsibilities, they aren’t doing their job; and even the latest security solutions can’t help a negligent technician.

Basically, instead of relying on the latest technology to solve your security problems, you need to consider that the problem might be with how the solutions are integrated. Even with maximum security, people with technology (who know how to leverage it) are the ones behind the attacks; therefore, people must be the ones to integrate technology to defend against them. You want skilled IT technicians who understand technology to be the ones working behind the scenes to protect your data from theft or corruption.

In order to help your business best protect its data, k_Street Consulting, LLC offers managed IT services to small and medium-sized businesses. We understand the predicament that many SMBs find themselves in. If you can’t afford to hire an internal IT department, you may be afraid that you might fall victim to hackers and other threats that are on the market. Thankfully, we offer all of the services of an internal IT department, plus some; all at a flat rate that’s easy to budget.

One of our primary service offerings is our security solution. We monitor and maintain your network, all while protecting it with a variety of security measures, like a firewall, antivirus, and more. This allows you to continue operations without all of the troublesome network maintenance that comes with operating an IT infrastructure. Give us a call at (202) 640-2737 today to learn more about how we can protect your network from those who wish harm upon your business.