You’d be forgiven for assuming the above was related to an old western and not a cyber-breach of your company computer systems. A ‘watering hole’ attack is named in relation to the analogy of a thirsty victim stopping for a drink and a stealthy predator lurking nearby, ready to pounce.
Just recently such an attack was publicised in The New York Times, when the computer network of a large oil company was hacked and infected with malware, when its employees accessed the online menu of a Chinese restaurant popular with the company. By viewing the menu, code was unintentionally downloaded, giving the attackers access to their network, otherwise impenetrable in a direct assault.
These types of attacks are not as rare as you may think either, all types of equipment have been used to access sytems, ranging from printers and vending machines to heating systems. Any system that can be remotely accessed that links to corporate networks is vulnerable.
So what can you do?
- Firstly, ensure that sensitive data is blocked off from third party systems
- Make sure all sensitive data can only be accessed by complex passwords
- Consider your IT budget, have you allocated enough to properly secure your business and the data within it, arguably your most important asset?
- It is worth considering using a security expert for consultation – they will be able to expose vulnerabilities within your system before they can be abused by hackers
- Having a Cyber and Data Security insurance policy in place will give you peace of mind should the worst happen despite your best effort
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