Are companies just lax, or are hackers getting better?
I was reading through Webroot Software’s report on the state of spyware for the 4th quarter of 2005. I was shocked at the number of attacks against large companies worldwide during 2005. This bets the questions: Are companies lax about their computer security or cyber criminals just getting smarter?
During 2005 attacks were made against us companies including:
- BT’s Wholesale Club, when the credit card information of thousands of customers was stolen.
- DSW Shoe Warehouse, when 1.4 million names and credit card numbers were stolen from a database.
- Lexis-Nexis, when hackers gained access to the personal information of thousands of customers.
So I ask this - are criminals just out thinking and outsmarting the current security in place for companies, or are the companies not as dilligent as they should be about security? One thing is certain - companies will need to be more proactive and aggressive when it comes to the protection of sensitive information.