Data privacy and security are topics that have been in news for quite some time now. It is not uncommon to come across news of data privacy being compromised and security breaches. As a consequence‚ the spending on security has burgeoned by a huge amount as companies fight hard to keep their business critical data and information under wraps and from the prying eyes of digital attackers and hackers. It is not surprising to learn of a prediction based on recent research that cybercrime can potentially punch a colossal hole in the global economy in the years to come.

Why Companies Must Have A Relook At Their Data Security Systems

An example of the technology that hackers have armed themselves can be seen from the hacking of website of Indian Oil Corporation‚ the country’s largest commercial enterprise by a group based in Turkey. It shows the extreme vulnerability of even those companies who spend heavily on securing their data. The hacking of the IOC website forced CERT or Indian Computer Emergency Response Team to issue reminders to companies to revisit their security systems and utilize the most advanced systems available to keep data protected.

The Stuxnet worm is another example of how cyber hackers are becoming more brazen with time. Aimed at disrupting the nuclear program of Iran‚ Stuxnet worm searched for a specific model of PLC‚ or programmable logic controller. They were designed to run many of the automated processes of nuclear plants. Once a loose link was discovered‚ the system got infected pretty quickly and brought the plant down. The ability of the worm to target specific areas of systems made many countries including India aware of the catastrophe that the worm could wreck on their infrastructure.

How To Reduce Risks Of Cyber Attacks

India is perceived to be at a high level of risk as data reveal that 14‚000 plus websites were defaced in the first few months of 2014. So what steps should India take to reduce the risk and reinforce security for its PSUs and data sensitive enterprises?

Experts suggest that with advancing technologies in data security‚ it is possible for companies to provide iron-clad protection to all their business sensitive data and keep it out of reach of hackers.

How Colocation Can Help

Colocation is an option that’s being increasingly explored by many enterprises. It can provide access to robust enterprise-grade security and insulate them from attacks against networks and applications. It is also designed to deliver optimum security from physical attacks of any level. Data center providers with good years of experience under their belts are fully equipped to deliver advanced monitoring and management of data from their networks. They are also equipped with the tools needed to identify specific kinds of attacks through behavior recognition. This involves detecting anomalies on the network. As soon as any unusual activity is detected‚ a route is introduced in the system to divert traffic to the anomaly guard so that risks are reduced.

Data centers also have systems that can keep a close watch on logs and alerts on the servers and network. Enterprise data can be further secured by using a comprehensive security audit structure that can measure risks and provide early warnings. Real-time vulnerability scanning services are available for detecting the various system weaknesses of website. All the weak links and points that could possibly be exploited by malware creators are checked and appropriate security patches applied proactively.

Why Outsourcing Data Security Can Be A Smart Move

Cyber security experts heavily recommend outsourcing or colocating of systems‚ especially for those PSUs and organizations struggling to keep their data and IT infrastructure secure from attackers who are becoming increasingly brazen and innovative. Top data center offer effective and affordable server colocation plans managed by experienced security engineers and IT experts. Their experience in handling a wide range of risk elements can help in providing enterprises a high level of security that can be sustained at all times and circumstances.

It is seen that data attacks are becoming more frequent and focus on top companies in the core industry areas like gas‚ power‚ oil and others. As data volumes associated with these industries and huge and are of extremely critical value‚ the risk and losses are significantly large. The technology associated with data attacks as well as the frequency and scale of attacks is clearly increasing. The hackers are now choosing their targets with the intention of causing maximum impact and delivering optimum damage.

It is evident from attacks of the likes of Stuxnet that data attacks are clearly the weapons of the future and will be increasingly used by countries to target each other. Cyber missiles are likely to be deployed with increasing frequency to wreck countries economically by attacking critical business sectors. Governments will do well to take proactive measures to ensure that cyber attacks do not happen.