Internet hacking, the act of breaching website security features and accessing secure and confidential information; is as old as the internet itself.
Business spend billions every year attempting to keep confidential information about themselves and their customers confidential; while at the same time others around the world work hard to try and get past those security features in a seemingly endless game of cat-and-mouse. The public are largely trusting with their personal information; however this trust grows thin with each public announcement of the theft of personal information.
Last week, Apple announced that hackers had stolen information on 225,000 accounts. T-Mobile also revealed recently that they had become indirect victims of hackers attempting to access secure information; and had taken the records of a colossal 15 million people. Achieved by breaching the servers of credit agency Experian; in response to this T-Mobile CEO angrily threatened to end their contract with them.
Following the Apple breach, it was revealed that the accounts that were breached were using so-called “jailbroken” handsets. These are phones that had the hardware restrictions of the operating system removed. Software hidden in an app called Cydia allowed the hackers a “back door” into the users accounts, allowing them easy access to supposedly secure information such as dates of birth, addresses and other personal information that criminals may use to steal someone’s identity to commit fraud.
Efforts to combat hackers continue with new security software and safer storage techniques. However users of websites should bear their own security mind, ensuring they use difficult to guess passwords, and ensure they don’t reveal confidential information to others that might weaken their online security.
Have you been the victim of internet hacking? Let us know your thoughts on this issue.
