People should start paying more attention to their security when they are using various devices connected to the internet. While terms like viruses, spam, malicious content, and hacker attacks are present for a long time, and many people go introduced to them during the expansion of the internet in the late 90s and early 2000s, the fact is that a huge part of users today still leaves some spaces for potential cyber-attacks.
This became especially important in recent years, where everything is connected online. Companies are using cloud services and various software solutions, while there are billions of users of social media, where we are sharing personal data, pictures, and more. Some official institutions are taking measures to improve online security by issuing new laws, blocking certain websites, while network providers are working on improvements related to the quality and security of the internet.
The main advantage of online platforms is transparency. For example, a company or the client can finish some business much faster when he can do everything online. The introduction of blockchain technology and smart contracts is adding even more benefits to that. When it comes to transparency, we have to mention Infotracer, which is a website where you can search data by checking various sources and find details about criminal records, documents, and many other files of people.
While there are many advantages of such a platform, it is crucial to keep it secure. Even if you are not sharing the details of your bank account, there are many other types of potential frauds where hackers might steal your identity and use it to create a fake ID, passports, and many other documents that could lead you into legal issues. While this is a global problem, we are going to analyze more about the recent attacks that happened in Florida.
Water Treatment Plant
One of the most dangerous attacks that occurred in 2024 was on the Water Treatment plant in Florida. This case is the perfect example of why various institutions should pay more attention to their current IT solutions installed and the level of security they can provide. The cyber-attack attempted to make the water toxic. This case has alarmed the nation since it is only one of over 150,000 water systems spread all over the country.
Luckily, it seems that the attack was attempted by an amateur since the workers managed to prevent toxic substances to reach the water in higher amounts. This facility has additional measures where the water is tested several times before it is allowed to enter pipes. However, the more experienced hacker might manage to create much bigger problems. This situation represents a clear indication that current water systems in the US require new equipment that will guarantee improved safety.
Malware Breach in IT Companies
Attempts of hacker attacks are more common in the IT sector, where criminals are trying to get access to big databases and use them to collect private data and funds. When it comes to private data, it is not a rare case that hackers are using those files to blackmail these companies. For example, it can be industrial espionage, where the criminal will threaten that he will reveal some company’s secrets. In the most recent events, there were attempts of cyber-attacks on over 200 businesses in Florida. The great thing is that they managed to localize the threat and limit it only to a few hundred people.
We can notice a huge increase in malicious attacks in recent years, which is two times higher when compared to 2019. Big tech companies are only one of the victims since hackers are now more focused on private users and official institutions like courts, police departments, healthcare systems, and more. One of the most serious attacks was on one of Microsoft servers, while Apple had some issues as well. This is a clear indication that developers must continue working on advancements in this field and find a way to protect both companies and the users.
How To Prevent Cyber-Attacks?
First of all, it is necessary to learn more about the potential breaches and what techniques hackers are using the most. For example, fishing is a well-known method where a user will get mail from an unknown source. Opening the link in such mail will infect the device and the hacker will gain access to it. Other common methods are ransom files, viruses, malware, hacking into the system, and more.
The easiest way to protect yourself as a regular user is to pay attention to the complexity of your passwords, and files you are downloading from the internet. Also, your device should be up to date at any moment, with the provided support of the developer who introduced the operating system. The additional support is to install anti-virus protection, which will prevent you from entering suspicious websites, or downloading malicious files.
When it comes to big companies, it is essential to protect the databases. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in proper equipment and tools that will recognize the attempt of cyber threats at the right time and help you prevent them. That is one of the reasons why bigger companies should always develop their software for internal processes.
The Bottom Line
Keep in mind that hackers are constantly working on improving the methods they could use to steal data. They are following the most recent trends and each upgrade. That is the main reason to always invest in additional security, especially as a company. In case that you are often shopping online, or playing games at online casinos, you are leaving the details of your bank account, and without proper protection installed on your device, you are risking the theft of money and identity.
The standard method of protection is the firewall, along with antivirus security. Still, these solutions also require constant updates. Other factors to consider are the security of the wireless connection, backing up, and avoiding suspicious files. People often think that chances are low that hackers will target regular users, but you should know that they are often targeting millions of people with the same phishing mails.
