Aug 10, 2017

Cyber Security - What's New?

If you turn on the news, you're likely to see something on cyber security - whether it was a government, business, or a mass of individuals who became victim to hackers, security, and cyber defense is now an important topic. 

Recently in Las Vegas, from July 27-30, DEF CON had its 25th annual event. DEF CON is a gathering of hackers with wide-ranging interests, but many of them center around cyber security and breaking through defenses. According to Review Las Vegas, "[hosting hotel] employees at both hotels said they were warned by managers to be cautious when using their smartphones at work to browse the internet", and that many attendees "were concerned about using their credit cards and withdrawing money from ATMs at the convention". One of the convention events was a "hacker voting village", where attendees would attempt to break into voting machines. Another hacker successfully jailbroke an Apple Watch for the first time. 

An article from Business Insider also cites an $81.7 billion cyber security market, with a projected growth rate of 9%. One cyber security startup, Callsign, has successfully gained $35 million in investments.

But, it's not all roses. A hacker, Spiderman, who in November engineered an attack to take down internet service for over one million Germans, was recently sentenced to over a year in prison. CNBC reports cyber crime as "the fastest-growing crime in the U.S.", costing over $450 billion worldwide. The pharmaceutical company Merck has stated that it has had to halt production due to cyber attacks. Small companies are also still being hurt by the NotPetya ransomware, and many businesses in Ukraine have been hit hard by cyber attacks. Ransomware is also stated by the BBC as being easy to use and find by amateur hackers.

Are you concerned about cyber security and hackers? If so, contact us online or call 1800 folio1.
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