What's Motivating Global Hacking & What Software Can Help To Protect Your Systems

The Sony Pictures hack which has been used by the USA to issue new sanctions against North Korea who they blame for the cyber attack brings to light how best to protect computer systems from intrusion, damage and theft of intellectual property, private email correspondence, and more. With Sony some observers now say that they had concerns about network security at the company for some time but little was done.

The case for who exactly is to blame for the action on the computer networks of Sony Pictures has been brought into question by a number of security consultants who doubt the North Korean link despite the recent sanctions. Sam Glines, the CEO with Norse which focuses on cybersecurity for business commented to CNN, “It is clear to us, based on forensic evidence we have collected, that [North Korea] is not accountable for arranging or initiating the attack on Sony.”

In the last few days North Korean authorities have strongly denied any involvement with the hack despite the eerie coincidence of “The Interview” movie offering a fictitious account of the CIA in North Korea which is said to have offended many in the country shortly before the hacks occurred.

Hacks like the one at Sony can reveal much content which people involved would rather have stay hidden. Like email exchanges between Sony studio executives and actress Angelina Jolie, or the exact salaries of actors in upcoming film and TV development projects.

Symantec Rank The Most Dangerous Countries With Cyber Crime

Symantec recently ranked the most dangerous 20 countries when it comes to cyber crime. They considered several factors including email phishing, bots, attack location, and malicious code.

The top five countries were U.S., China, Germany, the UK, and Brazil. Russia came in number 12 and North Korea wasn't even in the top 20. Despite this, many of the strongest and most persistent attacks originate in Russia where hackers have a knack of turning hacking into a successful money making exercise.

Cyber Security Important For All

For individuals who have their own cyber security to consider, the Sony hack should be another warning that data online can be unsafe at least some of the time. It is necessary to use software to protect computer systems and mobile devices from intrusion, data loss, and worse.

D3K Interview Avast's COO To Get Greater Security Insight

Download3K recently spoke with AndÅ™ej Vlček the Chief Operating Officer of security firm Avast about the dangers inherent with internet use today and what the company is doing with its software to protect its millions of users on desktop and mobile devices.

Vlček particularly highlighted the benefit of using their Mobile Security app on the Android system. There is also the Avast Free Antivirus 2015 version with new features and a clear, simpler interface that beginners will find easy to use. Avast provides antivirus protection, email phishing, and malware intrusion detection and prevention.

Getting Improved Malware Protection From a Specialist

Another tool that consistently wins awards for its success at locating and eradicating malware on Windows computers is the Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware software package. It can run a full sweep of the computer's hard drives and the Windows registry looking for entries which indicate the computer has been infected. Then it sets about removing any infection that is discovered.

Stay Mindful of Security

It is still quite easy to open a malicious email and accidentally install a Trojan or malware to a computer system which can be used to turn it into a bot drone that can be used in a globally coordinated denial of service (DDoS) attack or to obtain passwords and other critical information from users, so using the best security software is vital to avoid future problems.

At least once a week a full scan of a computer system should be run to check for infections and other security issues. Real time protection is better still and is often available with the paid version of free security apps for Windows and mobile devices.