How to bounce back from a breach in security.

Nothing is worse than getting PWNed in a security breach; it exposes weakness in security and puts your firm and your clients in harm’s way. Thankfully, we’re going to cover how to bounce back after getting PWNed and a few steps for recovery. Here’s a look at bouncing back from getting PWNed and recovering from a security breach.

Hacker typing on a laptop

What Is Getting PWNed?

Getting “PWNed” is a leetspeak (internet) slang/term for owning or conquering an account. For example, if a social media account was PWNed, it would mean that an account was accessed by a hacker. It can also mean that your username (often your email address) and password with a particular company or vendor have been breached or stolen.

The concept of “PWNed” in its context reminds of the importance of ensuring security in the online space, similar to how players in most payout online casino must be careful about the security of their accounts. Accessing personal information, just like gambling information, can be a challenge for hackers, so it’s important to use strong passwords and other security measures. In the world of online casinos, players are given the opportunity to choose from a variety of games such as poker, roulette, blackjack and slots that they can choose for their own entertainment and test their luck.

Where Professionals Get PWNed

Unless you’re a masochist with no disregard for your personal information, nobody wants to be PWNed.Unfortunately, there are many reasons hackers want your account information:

  • Hackers Love Hacking Healthcare Information — Aside from the retailers and the government, hackers love accessing healthcare information. With access to social security records, birth records, and addresses, a hacker can easily commit fraud with the information obtained from such sites.
  • Credit Cards — Credit cards can become a client or professional’s nightmare when it comes to hacking. Whether it’s using malware to breach a computer system or a skimmer hooked up to a gas pump, there’s no end to where a hacker can retrieve your credit card information. Then it can be easily sold to criminals who will use it for unauthorized purchases or cash advances.
  • Information Stolen to Be Sold Elsewhere Online — Many hackers steal information to sell it elsewhere. For example, just because your information was stolen from one network, it doesn’t mean that the same person who stole it is using the information.
  • Losing a Phone/Computer — Our phones and computers can do wonders in retaining information. However, misplacing or losing them can cause serious damage to your identity and put your clients’ information at risk. Think of all of the private information that exists in your email and contacts. That’s all on your phone!

You’ve Been PWNed: What to Do

Since you’re aware of how serious a problem like this can become, it’s time to take action if you find yourself in such circumstances.

  • Report All Potential Breaches — If you see something strange or think you may have clicked on something you shouldn’t have, say something. Errors are worth notifying others, and if you have a question, you must ask to conclude. The sooner your IT team can act on a potential problem, the better. Don’t be afraid to report anything strange to your IT team. The worst mistake is not saying something.
  • Contact the Website Administrator if Your Information Has Been Posted on their site Without Your Consent — If someone has posted your information without your consent, it’s important to notify them to have it removed. Legitimate sites will take this seriously.
  • Check Sites that Track Potential Breaches of Your Information A great site to check is Have I Been PWNed?. You can enter a username or your email address and it will tell you which companies had your information and were breached. Because busy professionals often use the same passwords on multiple websites or systems, you should immediately change your passwords on all sites and systems that used the same password that was breached.

Considering all this information, you must avoid getting PWNed, to begin with. NetFusion accomplishes this by implementing proprietary network architecture to secure your firm’s data against a breach.

Professional service firms and small-to-medium-sized businesses throughout California turn to NetFusion to design, implement and manage stable, scalable, and secure I.T. networks.

Contact NetFusion at (323)435-1318 or info@netfusion.com for more information.

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