Voltage Security Comments on Hacker Charges and Sentencing

Voltage Security Comments on Hacker Charges and Sentencing

Voltage Security has issued the following statements from security expert and VP Mark Bower in light of recent hacking news, including charges against Reuters’ Matthew Keys and yesterday’s sentencing of AT&T hacker Andrew Auernheimer. 

Mark Bower of Voltage Security today said, ”Vulnerable systems exploited by attackers can have serious consequences beyond ‘hacktivists’ claiming their break-in trophies. The impact of the Keys’ situation was manipulation of the media and potentially, access to sensitive data. That could have a costly impact, depending on how readers or even industry groups might respond to a manipulated story, as well as the fallout from potential sensitive data theft. If the system used to communicate with the public can be manipulated, then there will be consequential costs and harm.”

“Over the years we've witnessed repeated successful attacks to critical infrastructure, hospitals, patient data, banks, credit card processors and government - the stakes are high. Courts can't take any attacks to any critical infrastructure lightly when establishing the extent of punishment,” he added.

Bower, who was featured in a live interview with The Huffington Post on Monday about the Keys’ case, further commented that “for every attacker who’s caught and penalized, there are probably 50 or more who aren't. Firms can't rely on the courts and punitive sentences to deter attackers as a strategy to defend their valuable data assets. Many attacks originate outside the jurisdiction of law enforcement, and law enforcement's ability to trace attacks might also be very limited. By then however it’s too late. The damage is done and the data is long gone or the system is manipulated. This, once again, points back to the need to take pro-active steps to mitigate the fallout from the inevitable system compromise and breach.”

“The good news is that today it’s not hard to do. There are new, powerful techniques available, such as data-centric security technologies which make attacks to data benign events, without disrupting business. Leading firms all around the world who saw the writing on the wall for traditional IT defenses are already using the approach successfully today. The outcome is that the business can get on with growth, and the attackers will move on to easier targets. As history proves, there's plenty of those for Anonymous and the like to pursue,” said Bower.

Featured

  • A Break from Routine

    It was three years ago right about now that COVID was bringing the world to its knees. In mid-March of 2020, the president put travel restrictions on all flights in and out of Europe, the NBA suspended its season, and Tom Hanks announced that he’d tested positive for the disease—all in the same night. It was officially a national emergency two days later. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Live From ISC West 2023 Preview

    ISC West 2023 is right around the corner! This year’s trade show is scheduled from March 28–31 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Campus Security & Life Safety and Security Today staff will be on hand to provide live updates about the security industry’s latest innovations, trends, and products. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Until We Meet Again

    A short three years ago we were all pondering whether to attend any tradeshows all thanks to COVID-19. Sorry to bring that nightmare up again, but it seems that little pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, and it’s time to meet again. Read Now

    • ISC West
  • Cyber Hygiene: What it Looks Like for IoT Devices

    Cyber Hygiene: What it Looks Like for IoT Devices

    For our second pillar about the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Pillars of Security, we are going to discuss what cyber hygiene looks like for IoT devices. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • ABLOY IP54-rated Integrated Dust Cover

    ABLOY IP54-rated Integrated Dust Cover

    One of the things that keep security managers on high alert is the real possibility the security locks used to safeguard their properties may unexpectedly fail due to environmental conditions. 3

  • ComNet NW1 Gen 4

    ComNet NW1 Gen 4

    ComNet, Communication Networks, is announcing the introduction of its Generation 4 line of NetWave® wireless products that offer greater performance and increased stability in applications where throughput and increased bandwidth is increasingly important. 3

  • BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key International has introduced its new mobile app, BIO-key MobileAuth™ with PalmPositive™ the latest among over sixteen strong authentication factors available for BIO-key's PortalGuard® Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform. 3