Today, computer hard drives are an integral part of business operations. These hard drives may be encrypted or unencrypted, depending on your desired level of security.
Encrypted hard drives are more secure, as the data can only be accessed with a password. With an unencrypted hard drive, anyone with physical access to the drive can read or write data without additional authentication.
There are situations where you may not need to encrypt an internal hard drive. Internal hard drives are typically housed inside the computer and are not easily accessible to outsiders.
However, you need to take extra precautions when it comes to external hard drives. External hard drives are portable and can be taken outside the office, making them more vulnerable to data theft or malicious tampering.
You must maintain strong security protocols if your company handles external hard drives.
The Value of Data
The data stored on hard drives is precious to hackers. They might find your subscriber list and start spamming the emails or discover confidential customer information, such as financial data or social security numbers.
Hackers may even tamper with company source code or essential files. The havoc bad actors can inflict when they access sensitive data is immense. An estimated $10.5 trillion in cybercrimes will get reached by 2025.
The expenses are generally too large for small businesses to absorb. 60% of small businesses hit by a cyber attack cease operating within half a year. The ones that recover often have to fight against customer anger and decreased consumer confidence.
Hackers Are Sophisticated
Technological advances work both ways- businesses and hackers benefit. Modern hackers have an array of tools that would have seemed impossible a decade ago.
Here are three ways hackers have become more sophisticated in recent years.
- They can freeze your system in less than an hour
- Businesses get targeted for ransomware attacks. Criminals illegally access businesses’ computer systems and inject malware that renders the system inoperable. Companies get forced to pay a ransom to regain access to critical data.
- Ransomware gangs are now so efficient they can completely hijack your system within 45 minutes. Microsoft discussed the increased efficiency in a report that claimed: “threat actors have rapidly increased in sophistication over the past year, using techniques that make them harder to spot and that threaten even the savviest targets.”
- They follow expert manuals
- Would-be hackers can find detailed manuals online explaining exactly how to launch attacks. An inexperienced cyber criminal can instantly boost his sophistication level by spending a little money.
- The dark web sells phishing kits for under $10. Ready-made malware can be purchased as quickly as Microsoft Word if you search the right platforms.
- They can access your external hard drive
- Hackers have become better at accessing data on external hard drives. They can install a bootkit or rootkit and extract the valuable information you thought was secure.
- In July 2022, Kaspersky researchers discovered CosmicStrand, a rootkit that gives hackers total control over your computer. It remains even if you reinstall the operating system.
- The rootkit is so advanced that many researchers believe it was impossible for most cybercriminals. “This discovery begs a final question: If this is what the attackers were using back then, what are they using today?” the Kaspersky team wrote.
Secure Erase Hard Drive with ViaTek Solutions
Protecting your data doesn’t end when finished with the hard drive. If hackers find the hard drive after it’s discarded, they may be able to read it. Simply deleting the information isn’t enough.
ViaTek Solutions uses Wipe Drive software to scrub data from your hard drive before physically shredding it. The data is completely erased and unreachable.
Our hard drive destruction services ensure no one has access to the information on a discarded drive. We use government-approved disposal methods and provide you with certification of destruction for each device we handle.
Protect Your Data Today
At ViaTek Solutions, we understand how quickly hackers can exploit your data. Our secure hard drive disposal services keep up with their sophistication.
When you trust us to take care of your old hard drives, you can rest easy knowing that no one will access that information ever again. Contact us today for more details.
