Small Businesses Are A Primary Target For Data Theft

 In this age of science and technological growth, every sphere of our lives are occupied with digital devices, which are used for various reasons including improving the quality of work and saving time. Advancement in technology has raised severe issues of identity theft. It is becoming easier for the thieves to access, obtain and make fake copies of the identity – which a common person cannot fathom. This practice is gaining momentum in small neighborhood business. Sharing personal information with a small business may seem very harmless – but the reality can be different sometimes.

A report published on data theft, called Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) stated that there has been a drastic increase in cases of data theft in the U.S. Lately; centers responsible for data collection in businesses are being scrutinized targeted successfully. Personal details of people are extracted on a massive scale by monitoring computers businesses employees. They also track details stored in cell phones through cell phone monitoring software.

Open gateway for attackers

It is very easy to target small businesses, as their data is not very secure – the files are not protected, which makes it easier for the infiltrator to pass the security systems and extract information. People feed their personal information online daily while shopping online, on a social site; making them easy targets for thieves. Attackers can easily trace data and track the person of their choice.

The 2012 report of DBIR gives a horrific picture of data theft. The report stated that more than roughly 174,080,317 records were stolen last year. This means that where you shop might be misusing your information. Only three years ago, internal threats were almost half as bad as external ones.

Spy software comes in handy

Attackers use several ways to break into the system and extract the details – including remote desktops, open wifi’s and even remote access services. It’s not that difficult to access the device by deploying spyware to the device. Not just spy software, attackers also utilize key loggers to penetrate the system. The story continues with cell phones and tablets also being attacked conveniently, Verizon has reported.

The issue with the business is not only lack of security, but also their unwillingness to appropriately use the security that was already in place. Improper use of reminders for the firewall have resulted in many simply turning it off as if you were keeping your doors unlocked in a dangerous neighborhood. This is in addition to a missing ACL or one that isn’t properly linked to a network.

It is practically impossible to expect not to lose any data in this ever increasing world of digital technology. However, it is imperative that smaller business take real measures to keep their data centers locked in and identity thieves locked out.

This guest post was written by James Clark. James has been writing about Computer Monitoring Software for quite a bit of his career. His articles have been a source of information for those looking to find out more about the latest Computer Spy Software and he’s helped many tackle their privacy and security issues along the way.