Data Security >

Why is data security important ?

Cyber crime is big business.

There are now dedicated cybercrime businesses employing hundreds and even thousands of people, and Cyber crime is now expected to cost the world economy in excess $2 trillion per annum by 2019.

Like any big business, organisations involved in cyber crime are extremely sophisticated and have effective supply chains, use middle men, and have incentivised sales forces & distribution channels. There are even operators out there offering CCaaS services (Cyber Crime as a Service) to commit everything from DDOS attacks ($10/hour) to SPAM-for-Hire ($200/day). Bad guys can purchase remote access to already compromised machines for as little as $13 per month, and “exploit kits” can be rented by the day, week or month. Then there’s a well developed (black) market ready to purchase any ill gotten gains.

A simple Google search can deliver current pricing for such things as detailed personal information, credit card details, social security numbers, forged documents and almost anything else that a value can be put on.

Secure Data
Data Destruction

How do they do it?

Cyber criminals know the entire internet inside out, including everything that connects to it and through it such routers, switches, servers, clients, operating systems, databases and applications. They can readily work out where any little “snippet” of information has come from, where it fits into the bigger picture, and how they can use it to assist with their exploits.

Cyber criminals have a broad range of toolsets and methods at their disposal to exploit any weakness and obtain what they’re after including:

  • Software to find unprotected / un-patched networks / servers / computers
  • Tools to identify & locate known software security flaws & bugs
  • Malware, Trojans & Viruses
  • Psychology – Using what they know about how people typically think & behave
  • What they can learn about someone (or an organisation) from social media
  • Phishing expeditions & social engineering (using the above)
  • Hacking (using any/all of above)
  • Establishing “beachheads” as a base for further “exploration”
  • Inserting data capture tools
  • Etc.

Secure Technology Disposal

All of the above are used to obtain “snippets” of relevant info which can then be plugged into a wider arsenal of software and tools to create & assemble something that they can use.

It must be remembered that cyber criminals aren’t necessarily looking for some secret “document” or “email”, they’re looking for:

  • Information / data
  • Configuration information
  • Network info
  • Usage history (login streams etc)
  • Credentials
  • Clues to establishing credentials
  • Areas of potential weakness
  • Anything that will assist in obtaining info / doing damage / creating havoc

Their capability, the sophistication of their tools in identifying, reading and reconstructing data, finding weaknesses and their determination should not be underestimated.

Data Destruction
ITRECYCLA Disk Degausser
Data Destruction
ITRECYCLA Drive Shredder

Risk of Disposed of Equipment

Discarded / disposed of equipment potentially provides rich pickings for cyber criminals as they will often contain many of the “clues” they are looking for.

For example:

  • A PC can hold a wealth of very usable information to assist in compromising the person or organisation it came from, including user names, passwords, remote access credentials etc
  • A server may disclose some very relevant information about an organisations IT systems including overall architecture, configuration information, application & data structures, security mechanisms, naming conventions and even policies.
  • Likewise, network infrastructure can reveal a lot about the environment it came out of, including where any weaknesses may lie.
  • Database servers & SAN’s are the holy grail

Consequently, there are well established markets for used equipment that hasn’t been appropriately sanitized.

As well as our On-Site Service we offer a Free Pick-Up Service or a Mail-In/Courier-In Services. Certificates of Destruction can be issued for all Destroyed Data Bearing Devices by request.

Contact Us for more information or a confidential quote for your Data Destruction needs. Request a FREE, Confidential Quote NOW

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