Systems At Risk From Cybercrime

Almost all nations, industries and companies are somehow connected to some form of computer and usually to the World Wide Web thereafter. However, few seem to realize the risk at which they put themselves in to just by posting an email of a valuable document or confidential photos via social media site. Here are a few systems of industries which have been hardest hit in recent years due to cybercrime.
The Financial Every bank in the world and every financial system of any large corporation is now digitized, thus making it severely vulnerable to the threats of cyberspace. Having in place a corporate password management network to access the specific levels of security will help protect the basic information from outsiders. However, hackers are constantly targeting financial systems of banks, financial institutions and finance systems of large companies for the financial benefit and thus, sophisticated systems which are constantly being changed and updated are needed to ensure security is not compromised at any point.
Industrial and Utilities EquipmentRecent attacks on a number of power plants and its equipment has created increased awareness in the possible attacks towards these utility plants such as telecommunications, nuclear power plants and even those effecting the national grid. It has been recently found that some machines which are not connected to the internet have been tampered with using local area radio signals to create significant damage to the entity.
The AirlinesAviation as a whole is solely dependent on the proper functioning of a complex network of computer commands. Unauthorized personnel being able to hack in to the aviation system of an airport could have control over all information regarding the airlines and crafts, thus leading to passenger life loss, aircrafts lost and significant damages on the ground and at the airport. A plane flying over the ocean is at a higher risk of possibly being attacked from within as the signals from the airport only extend within a specific radium from the shore. A military system hacked would have even more serious repercussions as ammunition would be freely available for the attacker to tamper with.
While the above are large systems, rather distant from the common man, consumer goods such as computers, tabs, mobile phones can be infected with virus or malware which could there after transfer financial information. Microphones, cameras and GPS systems may be easily used to collect personal information and activity patterns, which could later be used, even to frame an unsuspecting individual, to a serious offence or simply as blackmail.

Written by Erin Pickering