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Originally posted by Aimee Iorio. Cyber attacks are more common then you may realize.  Recent reports show that malicious hackers attack a computer in the US every 39 seconds!  Are you fully protected?

With so much of our daily lives conducted online these days, it’s mind-blowing that the issue of cyber security is not discussed more often. Usually the only time cyber security is brought into the spotlight is during a celebrity photo leak or a breach of political security.

However, common cyber crime is much more prevalent than these occasional headlines suggest. Every day, cyber criminals victimize people who shop, bank, send or receive money online.  Even people using social media to stay in touch with friends, customers, and family members are being victimized.

The sad truth is that few of these criminals can be described as experts or masterminds. The lack of awareness about cyber security makes most people an easy target for anyone trying to hack into their personal data.  Gone are the days of highly intelligent masterminds, sitting in their mother’s basement writing malicious code to hack a website.  With the advancement of technology and the increasing number of connected devices, the twelve year old next door could be hacking you right now.  

There has been a large spike in the number of data hacks and system breaches of name brand companies in recent years, causing millions of dollars in damages to recover the data and penalties paid through fines. Just a few examples are:

Facebook, the social media giant, had over 540 million user records exposed to Amazon’s cloud computing service.

Equifax, the global credit rating agency, experienced a data breach that affected a staggering 147 million customers. The costs of recovering from the system hack were recently estimated at $439 million.

The UK National Health Service (NHS), was temporarily brought to its knees with a relatively rudimentary ransomware attack, resulting in canceled operations and considerable clean-up costs.  

Yahoo, the web giant, suffered a breach affecting every one of its 3 billion customer accounts. Direct costs of the hack ran to around $350 Million.

Not only do nations and businesses face threats from the actions and intentions of hackers, but individuals face many risks as well. Identity theft is a huge issue, where hackers steal an individual’s personal information and sell it for profit. This type of attack could also put the personal safety of an individual and his or her family at risk.

In other cases, the hackers use blackmail and extortion after stealing a person’s identity and demand ransom money to take no further action.  Ransomware attacks are when hackers steal computer files or lock files on your computer by encrypting them and demand money in return.  This type of cyber attack has exploded during the pandemic and according to Coveware, a ransomware mitigation company, the average ransom payment went from $41,000 in the third quarter of 2019 to $234,000 in 2020.

With a simple scan of your computer, Rolle IT can identify your risk level and supply a fully detailed report that would outline your exposure.  We can then work with you to eliminate these potential risks before you fall victim.