Is your company a sitting duck for

Is your company a sitting duck for hackers? When did you last change your password? How complete are your security systems? Have you ever been broken into before?

According to IANS, the International Association for Network Security, there’s a new breed of hackers out there. And, there’s also anew target. In the past, hackers gained notoriety from breaking into big companies’ networks. In fact, the bigger the company, the bigger the success. When hackers broke into Informix’s notoriously secure system 1999, they made headline news around the world.

The big “success” came with a major drawback. This headline break-ins came with international teams of investigators and serious criminal charges. Several former famous hackers are now sitting behind bars or working overtime to pay off hefty fines in penalties and damages.

So, hackers of the new decade have turned to a new target: smaller companies. Smaller companies often spend less on their security systems. If they have never been broken into before, they may be lulled into a feeling of security. They are often lax about changing their password frequently enough. And that spells trouble.

Also, a breach system in a smaller company may attract little public attention. Investigations may be brief and superficial, as overloaded investigators pursue bigger problems.

But if you do fall victim to hackers, it will definitely attract your own attention. These thieves can gain access to your files, destroying, copying, or altering them. They can create havoc with your data. And if they do, you’ll surely wish you had changed your password once more often.