Vocabulary Practice: Data Security

Read the text again and then do the task.

Although most people would never leave their house unlocked they are not as careful when it comes to protecting their digital identity – the information stored on their devices. Hackers are individuals who hack into computer systems and networks in order to get access to that information. How do they do it? They may hack into a device by guessing a password, exploiting known bugs or configuration errors, or by simply taking advantage of a given system’s vulnerabilities. An undetected data breach can be quite costly for a company. By getting unauthorized access to a network hackers can steal, modify, corrupt, disclose or even delete data stored on a compromised device. What’s more, hackers can direct traffic through the infected device to attack other devices / systems in what is known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

As the number of online shoppers continues to grow, e-commerce stores are a target for hackers and identity thieves who are coming up with more and more creative ways of exploiting system flaws. To protect your business:
– layer security – install firewalls and other measures to protect data
– require strong passwords from merchants and shoppers
– authenticate users
– ensure you comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines which are a set of requirements for merchants who accept, store, and transmit cardholder data
– do not store credit card numbers, expiry dates etc.
– use anti-virus software

As the saying goes, better safe than sorry!