Tricks to Fight Off the Data Hackers (Part 2)

Last month, we provided several tips and tricks to help you fight off the data hackers that are becoming more and more a part of our professional and consumer lives.

Read Part 1: Tricks to Fight Off the Data Hackers (Part 1)

Hackers are always creating new ways to get our information and cause real mayhem on an increasingly global level. Here are a few more ways you can protect yourself and your information from these cyber criminals.

Stay Informed

Information is power, particularly in the information age. If you stay up to date on the latest hacks or viruses, you will be more prepared to take necessary action to protect yourself better. Consider following hacker posting sites to keep one step ahead of the hackers themselves. Sites such as Pastebin or even sites on the dark web, you’ll gain insights into the latest and greatest tactics hackers are using. As a cyber fly on the wall, you’ll know what’s coming down the pipeline. If you see hacker data deposits of red herring data, you’ll know your company has been compromised even before any damage has taken place. This allows companies time to patch holes in their defenses, track attackers, and prepare management for any resulting public announcements.

Push Bad Actors into Black Holes

Black holes are a location where hacker activity can be directed once detected, but they are protected from the rest of the network. You can create a black hole using a DNS or IP address management service, and when a hacker or piece of malware asks for a non-existent DNS name or IP address, the service will shunt the hacker into a black hole configured with negative performance tricks, such as slow speeds, packet corruption, retransmission, and super packet fragmentation. These black holes work by responding to bad actors by waiting and over confirmation. This artificial slowness can help track the origin of the hacker or malware as well. While the setup and monitoring of these black holes can be intensive, from an enterprise security perspective the information provided by these digital traps is well worth the effort.

Nix the Admins

Hackers have long known they can access vulnerable information or network entry-points through local admin, or root accounts. That high privilege accessibility can be more trouble than it’s worth. Consider emptying all such privileged groups of any permanent members. With this strategy, admins act as nonprivileged users, and if they need to perform an administrative task, they can request a highly privileged account or session as needed for a limited time only. This can create boundary tasks, devices, and time frames that can help protect the network at large.

Hack Yourself

The best developers hack their own code. This helps them see their own vulnerabilities and ways in which they can improve. You can do this too by using a code review tool, and avoid a hacker being the first to see whether or not there is an easy entry point. Many of the world’s biggest organizations are now on board with this “white-hat” hacking strategy. Don’t let your company get left behind.

About Happy Faces Records Management

Working with a records management company like Happy Faces Records Management is the obvious solution to protecting your data in a cost-effective and convenient manner. Call to speak with a representative of Happy Faces Records Management today.

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