Hackers still posing problems for data systems
In the 21st Century, it seems odd that organizations would still be leaving glaring gaps in their protection and continuity plans, yet these kinds of problems persist in modern information architecture. Backup tape and hard disk solutions can only do so much to contend with the rising tides of big data, cloud computing and instant communications that are simultaneously boosting and threatening corporate security, but IT professionals should be able to do more to prevent problems from arising in the data center. The fact that major fumbles still occur is cause for concern with many entities.
Not long ago, Miami Family Medical Centre, an Australian medical institution, fell in the crosshairs of Russian hackers looking to make a quick buck. The malicious group infiltrated the healthcare company’s servers, ran an encryption program on the organization’s file system and left, leaving behind a ransom note specifying an amount of money and where to send it. In return, Net Security reported, the company will get the key to unlock all of its files.
A recurring error
Other high-profile data systems have fallen under attack for failure to encrypt or provide adequate protection in similar ways. NASA’s loss of an unencrypted laptop could put thousands of its employees at risk, while the South Carolina Department of Revenue faces the same sort of problem on a much grander scale. Even Microsoft has seen these kinds of threats and hacks in recent months, as the birth of its new Surface RT system gives rise to a wave of users trying to find and exploit potential weaknesses.
Coming up with more secure backup tape management solutions requires high tech encryption and data protection. Tools that fail to meet these basic tenets won’t be able to keep up with the modern threat landscape, leaving host servers and other storage resources open to a plethora of threats and potential malware intrusions.
To its credit, the healthcare facility in Australia did go to the trouble of implementing a backup tape management system, though Net Security stated the company had not released details as to whether that storage tool had also been corrupted. Provided that the medical center went the extra mile and added adequate protection for that infrastructure, although it experienced a massive data breach, the corporation might be able to continue without having to pay the hackers.