Black Hat: The term conjures up mustachioed villains in dark outfits hatching nefarious schemes against unsuspecting townsfolk. The digital equivalent of this threat formed the focus of the recently concluded Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. You need to know the newest

 techniques that hackers can use against you to further improve the computer security of your business.

Password theft through video

You’ve conscientiously beefed up your network and taught employees to guard against unauthorized entry through viruses and other malware. But did you know that hackers don’t even need to touch your system to steal passwords? The latest systems can read video of you entering passwords even if the video was taken by camcorders or smartphones. They can then deduce your keystrokes without having to look at your screen.

Compromised readers of chip credit cards

The latest chip-and-pin credit cards, which store payment processing information on hardware embedded in the card, is supposed to be more secure than the old versions that use magnetic stripes. Except criminals can load Trojans onto the readers of these cards by just swiping a specially programmed card of their own. The pin number is then stored onto the reader. Another swipe of the special card then copies the file containing the pin information while deleting the Trojan, so no one ever knows the reader was compromised.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things puts control of devices like security cameras, light switches, business machines, and computer devices onto the cloud. This allows easy control of connected business hardware from remote locations, such as through your smartphone at home. Unfortunately, the Internet of Things is so new that many such devices can easily hacked, dinging your business or bringing it down altogether. Imagine what a thief could do if he uses his smartphone to access your cameras to see if your computer room is empty of people. 

If you want to know what other Black Hat techniques you need to guard against, or want help with your computer security, please contact us.

Written By Kevin Gray

Hello! I am the Sales Manager and one of the Senior IT Consultants @ EnvisionIT Solutions. I help our clients envision great technology solutions that help their businesses grow.  Let me know if you have any questions. I am an avid outdoorsmen who loves fly fishing and camping. I also love sports – soccer, basketball, football….