Hackers and International Business

Hacking is defined as using a computer to gain unauthorized access to data or information in a system. Often times the information is used for the financial gain of the hacker. Hackers have come to be a major drain on the global economy.. Data hackers have stolen information from many Fortune 500 companies, . Small business are not safe from hackers either. Home Depot and Target are both international corporations that have had their information compromised after small third party company contractors were hacked, allowing the hackers access to the bigger companies' databases.

. Operation Pawn Storm saw Russian based hackers use malware and phishing emails to spy on government officials in NATO countries. Email phishing is the technique of sending an email to convince the recipient to submit confidential information in some way or open a link that installs malware on the recipient’s computer. It is believed that in Operation Pawn Storm one of the tactics used was a fake Microsoft Outlook login screen that stole the usernames and passwords submitted to it. Many countries are now taking steps to protect against cyberattacks.

There are several steps you can take to make sure that your information is not compromised.  is a program that can help to protect your information on the internet. HTTPS Everywhere encrypts the communications between the web server and your computer, making it harder for someone to access what you do online. You should also checking the permissions on an application before installing it. Sometimes apps try and access unnecessary information like your contact list when there is no reason for it to. And to avoid an email phishing scam, you can do several things. The best step is to always be wary of suspicious looking emails and pop-up windows. Pop-up windows with malicious intent and phishing emails will try and trick you into giving them personal information.