The Internet is still really in its infancy, but it is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of users. Unfortunately, this growth has also meant an increase in the number of cyber criminals and attacks against websites. The latest major attack was perpetrated against LivingSocial. If you have an account with this website, you may want to pay attention.
LivingSocial is a daily deals website that focuses on bringing bargains and original deals to users based on their geographical location. In late April, news broke that the website had suffered a massive cyber attack with 50 million accounts being compromised.
From the reports we have seen, the attack targeted accounts world-wide with only account holders in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines being unaffected. An email sent out shortly after the incident by Tim O’Shaughnessy, LivingSocial’s CEO, said “We recently experienced a cyber-attack on our computer systems that resulted in unauthorized access to some customer data from our servers. We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate this issue.”
The company assured users that their credit card data had not been compromised, as they are kept in another database. Account passwords were also encrypted, which means they are harder to crack but not impossible.
So what should you do?
If you have a LivingSocial account, we recommend that you login and change your password immediately. This can be done by:
- Going to LivingSocial’s “forgot your password” page.
- Entering the email address you used to sign up for the account.
- Pressing Reset Password.
- Checking your email for an email from LivingSocial and following the instructions in the email.
It is advisable to pick a new password that is as different as possible from your old password and, as always, the longer, the better.
How can I protect my company from attacks?
If you are a business owner who has websites that encourage customers to sign up for updates, accounts, etc. you may be wondering how you can keep your user’s information secure from cyber attacks.
In truth, you can’t keep your important information 100% secure. If a hacker is committed to cracking into your site, they will eventually be able to get the information they need or wreak whatever havoc they wish. But what you can do is to make it as hard as possible for cybercriminals to get your information. This could be as simple as using multiple databases to store different bits of information, or as complex as using the latest encryption methods and systems.
Each business is unique, and the best way to ensure your valuable data is secure is to work with an IT partner who takes the time to get to know your security needs and develop a solution that is as near to 100% secure as possible.
If you are worried about the security of your systems, contact us today. We may have the perfect solution that will meet your needs and budget.
