Are You Really Secure?
Your Computer Network May Be A Target for Intruders

There is probably no other event that is more devastating or more embarrassing to a company than a significant security breach. Unfortunately, this kind of exposure is a lot more likely than fire, flood or a plane landing hard on your roof.
Almost daily, news reports tell of new attacks or security breaches of company computer networks, providing unnerving proof that security threats are advancing in speed, sophistication and potency.

Some of the external problems that pose a rising threat to businesses include:

Criminals Working with Computer Hackers
Authorities have seen an increase in cases where hackers steal corporate data and then attempt to blackmail companies.

Hacker Community More Efficient
Hacking tools and shared experiences are readily available for hackers to quickly improve their skills. Time between the recognition of software vulnerabilities to actual attack is shortening.

Access by Competitors
Unauthorized persons illegally hack into one of your computer systems to access data for competitive advantage.

Denial of Service Attacks (DOS)
DOS is still a very popular means to disrupt networks. Frequency is unchanged from 2005, but size of the attacks are a new concern. A very small number are reported to law enforcement, largely because companies want to avoid negative press coverage.

Bots
Bot-infected computers receive and respond to commands from other remote computers. Bot attackers use malicious software like viruses to seize control, launch further attacks and generate spam.

Worms, Viruses and Security Holes

• Hijacking Websites
  Attackers hijack websites to host malware and then lure users through scam instant messages or
  e-mails.
• E-mail Attachments
  Attackers e-mail a malicious document and trick the victim into clicking on the attachment.
• Software Flaws
  Bugs exploit vulnerabilities in older versions of software that have not been upgraded.

This is just the short list. The bottom line is that malicious elements are advancing at a faster pace than companies can address their network vulnerabilities.

IT infrastructure risks, both technological and human, must be known and minimized. If the safeguards fail, a planned recovery process is critical.

Way deep down, if you have this nagging question: "Could someone penetrate and disable our systems and networks?” It’s time to act.

Security is always a balance between safety and inconvenience.

Compiled from a variety of Internet Sources