What Kind of Data Do Hackers Want to Steal?

Making sure you protect the right data is key to a good Cyber Security and Network Security Plan

Cyber Security Plans and your Data

As you build your cyber security defenses and determine your network security priorities you need to start by knowing what data hackers want to steal. With a better idea of what data hackers want to steal, you can be more careful with this data. You can also design your cyber security plan to protect this data. Hackers want to steal almost every kind of sensitive data imaginable, but there is also a lot of data they want that you wouldn’t commonly think of.

Here is a list of the kinds of data hackers are after:

Personal Information

This is probably the first kind of data you think of when you think of what kind of data hackers want to steal. And if you collect other people’s personal information it is extremely important your cyber security plan and cyber security strategy be designed to protect this data. The most common forms of personal information include passwords, credit card numbers, account information, social security information, trading information, and intellectual property. However, this also includes less common information such as your favorite sports team, your pet’s name, where you were born, your parent’s full names, and what schools you attended. Random information like this can also be used to gain access to your accounts, so be just as careful with this kind of information as you are with the rest.

Once hackers gain access to this data, it can be used in a vast multitude of ways. Of course, social security numbers can be used for identity theft, and credit card and banking info can be used for financial theft. Account information can be used for phishing, spam, and scams, and social media information can be used for dirty data mining for yet more phishing, spam, and scams.

Trade Secrets

This is also another kind of data you probably think of when you think of what kind of data hackers want to steal. Your business methods, business plans, business forecasts, market analysis, marketing plans, and other details about how you do business could possibly be useful information to sell to one of your competitors. However, the biggest threat may not come from the outside but from the inside - an employee may turn out to be the one who steals this sensitive information. Make sure you are taking necessary precautions to keep this information from leaving your building in the hands of any employees as well as hackers. Good cyber security plans and strategies consider threats from both the inside of your company and outside attackers.

Healthcare Information

This isn’t commonly thought as data hackers may want to steal, but it is just as valuable to them as trade secrets or other personal information. Healthcare information is commonly used in identity theft involving healthcare insurance fraud and abuse, which is more lucrative than simply selling social security numbers. The FBI said recently criminals can sell healthcare information for as much as $50 a record. So, if you have any healthcare information on employees and/or clients, make sure you are keeping that information secure with the latest state-of-the-art security protocols. You may also need to follow HIPAA guidelines when developing your network security and cyber security plans.

Hackers May Want to Steal ALL Your Data

This also isn’t commonly thought of as data hackers may want to steal, but ransomware is a common threat to business in which ALL your data is held ransom for an exorbitant fee via encryption. The best way to keep your data safe from this is to keep your own regularly encrypted backups both online and offline. And one of the most important pieces to a successful cyber security strategy is having the ability to recover in the event of an attack. Off-site back-ups are critical in being able to recover from a cyber-attack.

Standing Your Ground is Tricky Business

Staying safe from all these sensitive data theft threats is a tricky business and can harm your business. that isn’t recommended you try to do yourself or trust just anyone to do for you. You need to trust a professional IT Cyber Security firm that is fully certified and has a proven track record in setting businesses up to successfully stay protected against all these Cyber Security threats to their data. The first thing to consider is having the right cyber security and network security plan put in place, with experts that know what data hackers want and how to protect it.