{"id":515,"date":"2015-08-10T14:24:54","date_gmt":"2015-08-10T22:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.checkworks.com\/blog\/?p=515"},"modified":"2015-08-10T14:24:54","modified_gmt":"2015-08-10T22:24:54","slug":"the-first-thing-we-do-lets-kill-all-the-hackers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.checkworks.com\/index.php\/the-first-thing-we-do-lets-kill-all-the-hackers\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Hackers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By MJ Plaster<\/p>\n

You know the line from King Henry the Sixth<\/i> even if you\u2019ve never read a word of Shakespeare: \u201cFirst thing we do, let\u2019s kill all the lawyers.\u201d Here we\u2019re talking about black hat hackers, the ones that wreak havoc with computer networks and Internet sites around the world. I\u2019m probably next on their list after that headline, but how else can I tempt you to read vital information that could save your business?<\/p>\n

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Quantifying the Threat<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s bad enough that we have to guard against phishing and 419 scams<\/a> at home, but hacking is a 24\/7\/365 threat for businesses. Most of it comes from outside the United States, so there\u2019s no recourse. Visit Norsecorp.com<\/a> for a real-time glimpse into hacking activity across the globe.<\/p>\n

<\/a> Computer insecurity goes beyond a simple IT threat; it\u2019s a business threat, especially since your customers\u2019 personal information is at risk.<\/p>\n

There is no surefire defense against \u201cmalevolent actors\u201d of any stripe. But you can deter garden-variety hackers by making your network less attractive to hackers.<\/p>\n

<\/a> If you don\u2019t have an IT person on staff to lock down your network, waste no time in finding an outside source<\/a>. Playing defense is dangerous, and remember, \u201cDone is better than perfect,\u201d because perfect doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

Put It on Paper<\/h2>\n

Start by ensuring that your written computer security policy is up-to-date. Just as important as preventive steps is the \u201cor else\u201d clause. You have to tie infractions to consequences and clearly state them in your policy. Without consequences, your policy is a toothless tiger.<\/p>\n

Passwords\u2014the Devil\u2019s in the Details<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re more than a quarter century into the computer generation, and people are still using \u201c1234\u201d or \u201cpassword\u201d for their passwords. That\u2019s insane!<\/p>\n

The best password is a passphrase<\/i> (multiple words) that includes uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers and special characters (if allowed). Password generators<\/a> create strong passwords, but if you need a sticky note on your monitor to help you remember passwords, it defeats the whole purpose.<\/p>\n

Password managers solve the problem without breaking the bank. Two good password managers are LastPass<\/a> and Dashlane<\/a>. Dashlane adds an additional feature to change all passwords assigned to an individual with a single click.<\/p>\n

Beyond OS Updates, Anti-Virus Software and Firewalls<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve installed a firewall and an anti-virus program. That\u2019s nice, but it\u2019s like saying you wash your face and brush your teeth in the morning. Do you update those programs and system software automatically? Do you update your hardware\u2019s firmware?<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s a slight danger that an update may cause problems, when a bad update comes out, a corrective update is usually on its way before you can let loose a string of expletives.<\/p>\n

Squash Malware<\/h2>\n

<\/a> Malware is shorthand for \u201cmalicious software.\u201d AV Test<\/a>, an independent IT institute, captures malware activity and reports 390,000+ new malware programs every day<\/i>. If you click the link and look at the graph, you\u2019ll see how rapidly malware programs have grown over the past decade.<\/p>\n

Malware includes:<\/p>\n