Are you a cybercriminal target? If you think that they'd never come after you, you should know the many ways that hackers don't care about who they hurt.
As an upstanding member of society, you expect most people to follow certain rules about what's socially acceptable. And when those rules get broken, it catches you off-guard like a boxer knocking his opponent out with a roundhouse. That's cybercrime for you. They don't follow the rules of what's normal or decent. Hackers don't care. And they'll do just about anything to profit from the misery of their cybercriminal targets.
Blue Hat Cyber provides cybersecurity solutions across the US and offers these insights into the mind of a cybercriminal, aka...hacker.
1. They Don't Care What Kind of Business You're In
Hackers don't care if you're running a charity for those displaced by a major hurricane. Hackers attack healthcare providers helping sick people and not-for-profits trying to help the less fortunate in our society. Likewise, they'll attack the public transportation systems we need to get around. They attack whole cities. They attack our food supply and utilities. For-profit, not-for-profit, government, hackers don't care.
2. They Don't Care How Big (Or Small) You Are
Often hackers take pride in being able to infiltrate a huge company. These companies are constant cybercriminal targets who need some of the highest levels of protection. And yet, many big names like Target, Equifax, and AT&T have been victims. It's most often their customers who suffer the most.
Small businesses often have the most to lose because a major event could take everything. According to FEMA, 40% of small businesses don't reopen after a disaster. And a major security breach can cost you more than a hurricane. Hackers know this. They know that a small business is
A) unlikely to have the resources to prevent an attack and
B) would pay anything to recover the stolen data from the criminal after they're attacked. It's better than going under.
With ransomware, just one type of attack, they encrypt all of your business data and force you to pay a ransom to get it back.
3. Hackers Don't Care About Your Privacy
We believe that we have an inherent right to privacy because we live in a "free country". We may say things in a business email, visit certain websites or have proprietary secrets locked away on a server. Cybercriminals don't believe that you have a right to privacy, especially if you're engaging in non-competitive practices or something illegal.
They know they can make money from blackmailing you.
4. Hackers Aren't Worried About Laws
Hackers rarely get prosecuted because they know how to cover their tracks. It takes exorbitant amounts of time and money for the FBI to investigate. According to the FBI, in 2018, businesses lost $2.7 Billion to these crimes. And only a small fraction ever see justice.
5. Cybercriminals Aren't Necessarily in It for Financial Gain
In some cases, it's bragging rights. They're willing to completely disrupt your business and cost you money just because they can even if there's no direct financial gain for them. It may just be practice for another job.
Ultimately, your only recourse is prevention. Businesses today must take this seriously and put cybersecurity solutions in place to protect themselves. Follow our blog to get the latest on IT and cybersecurity.
