The incidents of cyber-attacks and the fall out associated with them are on the rise. Recent victims of hacking include:
This list represents just some of the major organizations that were hacked in 2014. One of the most recent victims is the U.S. federal government.
Hackers and hacking have changed over the years. What used to be a way for teens to satisfy their curiosity and find a way to gain free phone access has now become a way for thieves to steal personal identities, financial records, corporate communications, and even sensitive government information. It is no longer about satisfying the curiosity of a precocious teen, but instead about money – lots of money – and national security.
If this is where we are in the world of hacking, where did it all begin?
Here is a brief outline of the history of hacking:
- The term “hack” originated in 1969 when computer science students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology adopted the term from model train enthusiasts who were able to “hack” train switches and tracks to improve performance.
- These hackers had an insatiable curiosity to know how things worked and wanted to figure out how to improve the technology of the time.
- Hackers figured out how to access telephone systems to make calls.
- In the 1980’s, with the rise of personal computers, hackers figured out how to use their home computers and telephone lines to break into company computers. Still, the main purpose was to do it because they could and to pull pranks.
- In 1983, the movie War Games came out that depicted a teenage kid accidentally hacking into a military computer with the potential for disastrous consequences. This created a greater awareness of some of the potential danger and damage hackers could cause.
- No laws existed making hacking a crime until 1986 when the U.S. Congress enacted the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
As the old saying goes, we’ve come a long way, baby! But not in a good way. The history of hacking seems mild in comparison to the state of affairs facing organizations today. Like other aspects of the world we live in, hacking has gone global and now protecting an organization from hackers has become increasingly difficult.
What can we learn from the history of hacking that might benefit us today?
Maybe one thing we can learn is to be proactive. Back in the 1980’s it took a major incident – six teenagers hacking into a nuclear weapons research facility – before legislation was enacted to even make hacking a crime.
As a business owner or manager, one way you can be proactive is to evaluate, with an IT professional, the ways in which your organization may be vulnerable to a hacker and then take steps to eliminate that vulnerability and put policies in place to monitor future risk.
Another vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers is unwanted electronics – particularly data containing devices that are no longer in use. Leaving old, unwanted data containing devices, like hard drives, laptops, tablets, and smart phones, stored in your offices without a plan for disposition is a liability – but it is also one of the easiest and least costly to rectify.
Contact us to find out how we can help you prepare a plan for your unwanted electronic data containing devices and reduce your risk of becoming the next victim of a hacker.