Who’s Watching Your IT Network?

D33DS Company – who, or rather what is that, you are probably asking right now? That was my sentiment exactly when hearing about this new hacker group — a group that has apparently published over 450,000 passwords of Yahoo Voice users.  Yahoo Voice, you may recall, is Yahoo’s voice over internet-protocol service (VOIP), which runs on their Yahoo Chat service.

These new breeds of hackers have been able to breach an “unknown” subdomain of Yahoo’s website, where they were able to obtain unencrypted account details. Clearly, this was just a wakeup call to demonstrate Yahoo’s security vulnerability and apparently not a direct threat to Yahoo.

Recently, we have witnessed other companies such as LinkedIn experiencing the same fate, as 6.4million of their passwords were released. The Yahoo and LinkedIn hackings reveal the vulnerability of IT departments of even large corporations as they deal with these sensitive IT security lapses. As of 29 June, for example, LinkedIn no longer allows users to synch their Twitter accounts to post on LinkedIn’s feed. You can only link from LinkedIn to Twitter. This measure is but one way they are protecting their user accounts from hackers such as D33DS Company.

IT security is a constant news headline, especially in the rapidly changing world of IT technology. A good IT service provider must always focus on providing secure infrastructures for the companies and organizations that they serve. They must recognize that not every precaution, no matter how complete, is bullet proof, as hackers and cybercriminals are finding unique ways to breach IT infrastructures of both small and large companies. They are, not only stealing valuable information and money, but they are exposing just how vulnerable and easy it is for them to gain access to networks that are thought to have iron-clad IT security.

Whether you’re amongst the Yahoos and LinkedIn’s of the world, it goes to show how important security is for all types companies. Nobody is immune or totally secure from viruses, malware or hackers. But there are major steps that can and should be taken to prevent a lot of these issues from occurring. First and foremost, you must be willing to invest in IT security. Although this may prove somewhat costly in the short run, the long term benefits far outweigh initial expenditures.

Talk with your IT support provider NOW and ask for an assessment of your IT security infrastructure. Institute a program for educating your employees about the various dangers that confront users every day — from Phishing emails that provide links to viruses, or clicking on the wrong links on certain websites that users should just not be on. Convey this message and you will significantly further the process of protecting your IT infrastructure.

Written by IT Support and IT Consulting Professionals at FedSolutions.  Thanks for stopping by!