A lot of people are talking about internet security nowadays. Between the famous leaks of Instagram photos, celebrity hacks, and the cyber attack on Sony, it would seem that the online world is devolving into a barbaric warzone. And, if that wasn’t enough, it would appear that the very internet powers that be are vulnerable to the machinations of unscrupulous parties.
Early last week, a nonprofit group by the name of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) revealed a hack in their system. This group, though not widely known to the public, is responsible for administering all website domain names. It would appear that hackers were able to use a technique known as “spear phishing”, wherein they sent targeted emails to the staff of ICANN under the guise of official internal messages, from which they were able to gain access to the email system and other internal networks.
Fortunately, damage appears to be minimal. ICANN believes that the hackers were able to see the names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of users, but that passwords were encrypted. Meanwhile, the department responsible for overseeing global internet operations was apparently not compromised.
If we in the public should take away anything from this attack, it’s the importance for our own personal vigilance when it comes to internet security. After all, hackers and malicious software often need us to let them in before they can do any damage, and once we make the mistake of doing so it can be very difficult to stop them. So take care with the links you click on and the attachments you open, and, should the worst happen, come to our data recovery shop in Seattle to set your computer right again.
