Your Friendly Neighborhood Hacker

Even before the pandemic, the attractiveness of hacking was something that lured people of varying skillsets to try and break through the IT systems of corporations and organizations. As the pandemic extends, different hackers are looking to flex their muscle and infiltrate even the most sophisticated of systems. The social media platform Twitter was one of the latest to succumb to the efforts of hackers. As news of the case unfolded, it became apparent that hackers were able to convince Twitter employees to share sensitive credentials that allowed the hackers to carry out one of the biggest security breaches the platform has ever experienced.

News of increased attacks due to the pandemic are increasing. A recent survey by the group Tenable showed that 41% of respondents had at least one cyberattack directly related to COVID-19. In the same survey, respondents shared that they lost sensitive data, productivity, and experienced financial loss due to these cyberattacks. 77% of respondents also believe that these attacks are going to increase in the coming years. This is a realistic expectation as the pandemic shifts work habits and makes businesses more dependent on technology in order to thrive in an evolving business landscape.

While the Twitter attack was carried out by seasoned hackers who have a history, recent reports suggest that an advanced skill set is not necessary for hackers to infiltrate your cybersecurity. The company Positive Technologies carried out tests of differing networks and determined that hackers with “middling” skills were still able to penetrate networks. 93% of the companies that they tested were able to be hacked by ethical hackers. 68% of the companies were able to be hacked in two steps or less along with an additional 25% that were able to be hacked with three to six steps. These hackers also reported that while the average time to penetrate these networks was four days, these hacks could be carried out in as little as 30 minutes. These conditions will only make the environment more ripe for cyber-attacks going forward.

At Nine Mile Security Group, we are primed to develop a comprehensive solution for your cybersecurity needs. Hackers have a variety of methods to break into your systems. We have a variety of methods to keep them out. Making sure your system has the right tools to protect your network is something we pride ourselves on when we give a detailed assessment of your systems. Once those are implemented, we can provide the training to your employees to make sure they recognize the signs of hacking and avoid putting your business in a vulnerable position. Reach out to us today so that we can begin the work to make sure your business is secure.