The fear of having an insecure business can be a powerful motivator for some people, for others it leads to inactivity. This is not unlike the fear of taking a test for fear you may not pass. But businesses simply don't have a choice anymore but to take a deeper look into their security and how their IT departments are handling, or not handling, issues. I took the last few weeks off of writing for the Christmas season. Just since my last post here is a brief list of the companies with new or possible breaches.
- Chick-fil-A
- One Stop Parking
- Microsoft Xbox
- Sony Playstation
- Staples - Breach Expanded
- Pak 'N Fly
The problem with this list is I only named companies that are household names. Big companies we have all heard of. People in my business do this often. By us naming a company you have heard of when discussing security gives us attention and credibility with our audience. The truth is, this list is nothing more than a drop in the bucket. We never hear about the thousands of other breaches taking place each day in schools, churches, law firms, local banks, doctor offices, convenient stores, parking decks, accounting firms, local government, recreation leagues...
Not getting your network looked at by a third party isn't saving you any money. It is only delaying the inevitable.
Target and Home Depot weren't the practice filed, it was the major leagues. Smaller companies is where they perfected their skills. And they packed up and moved before you knew they were there.