How Hackers Stealthily Breach Your Company's Network

Episode Show Notes / Description 

• Cyber Attacks: A Risk for Non-Tech Companies
  • Cyber attacks are not just a threat to tech companies; manufacturing companies, retailers, and other non-tech businesses are at risk as well.
  • Buildings and facilities are prime targets due to their numerous digitized management systems (e.g., HVAC, fire alarms, security cameras).
  • Many of these systems are connected to the internet but are often not fully protected by firewalls or cyber defense systems.
  • Hackers often target these devices because they are easier to infiltrate and harder to detect once compromised.
• Why Are Buildings a Target?
  • Common building devices like HVAC systems, security cameras, access key code swipers, and security gates are essentially mini computers connected to the internet.
  • These devices are easy targets for hackers due to their often weak security measures.
  • Once hackers infiltrate one device, they can gain access to your entire network, potentially compromising sensitive business information.
• Real-World Example: Hackers Targeting Security Cameras
  • A client had their security camera system hacked at a car dealership.
  • The camera was connected to the internet, allowing hackers to access passwords and sensitive business systems like accounting, payroll, and accounts receivable.
  • This illustrates the importance of monitoring all devices connected to your network.
• Best Practices for Cyber Defense
  • Regularly review and monitor the devices on your network to identify vulnerabilities.
  • An IT professional can assist in this process, or a good cyber liability insurance policy will often include this as part of the coverage.
  • Standalone cyber policies provide additional benefits, such as automatic monitoring of your network and response teams in case of a breach.
• Why Cyber Liability Insurance is Essential
  • Many cyber policies offer monitoring tools that passively check for compromised devices, which can be more cost-effective than hiring a dedicated team.
  • In case of a breach, insurance companies often provide response teams to help mitigate damage.
• The Threat of Ransomware
  • Hackers scan millions of IP addresses daily, looking for vulnerable devices to access and potentially launch ransomware attacks.
  • A successful attack could result in significant financial losses (hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars).
• Access Expert Consultations
  • For personalized advice and consultations, you can access licensed experts, including private investigators, insurance brokers, real estate title examiners, court mediators, and building contractors.
  • Schedule a live one-on-one session to discuss your specific situation and receive tailored guidance.

For more information, visit actualhum.com to book a consultation with a licensed expert.

What is The Expert Podcast?

The Expert Podcast brings you firsthand narratives from experts across diverse industries, including private investigators, general contractors and builders, insurance agencies, vehicle specialists, lawyers, and many others.

You might not think you're at a big risk of cyber attacks because you're not a tech company. You might be a manufacturing company, a retailer, or some other non-tech type company. But cyber attacks are actually more common in non-tech companies, and your actual building—your structure, your facility—might be the target.

How is that the case? Well, every building has many types of digitized management systems. Your HVAC is probably connected to the internet, your fire alarms, your access key code swipers, security cameras, security gates—all of those items are basically mini computers connected to the internet. And because they're not full-fledged computers with a screen, many times the firewalls and cyber defense aren't fully optimized for those kinds of devices.

Hackers are targeting those types of resources, those types of objects and technology, because they're easy to get into and they're not easy to discover that there's been a hack. The more devices you have connected on the network, the bigger the threat. All they need to do is get into one device.

We had a case where a client had a security camera at a car dealership. The hackers got into that camera. The camera was connected to the internet. That connected to their server. They found all their passwords, all their accesses, and were able to get into their accounting, their payroll, their accounts receivable—all of that just from a security camera.

So make sure, as part of your best practices, you look at the census of devices on your network. And it's easy to do—an IT person can do it and monitor those. A good cyber liability insurance policy is going to do that automatically if you buy a cyber policy, not an endorsement of cyber on your existing liability policy. If you buy a standalone, separate cyber policy, most of those companies are going to put on your system a monitoring app that will passively look at all your devices and see if any of them are compromised.

And you know, the cost of the insurance policy might be less than it would be to pay somebody to monitor your devices anyway. Plus, you get the insurance almost for free. And if there's a breach, they have response teams. So you want to monitor all these because the little mini devices you have on your doors, your windows—all these devices connected to the internet are tapping into your network and they're easy to find.

The hackers are out there scanning millions and millions of IP addresses every day. And all it takes is one to get into your system and shut you down for ransomware. That could cost you hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Thank you for watching. Remember, you can access live one-on-one personal consultations with a licensed private investigator, a licensed commercial insurance broker, a licensed certified real estate title examiner, and also a certified civil court mediator. So if you have a need to talk to an expert in any of these fields—or even a licensed building general contractor—you can click the link below: actualhum.com and arrange a live one-on-one undivided attention with a licensed expert, where you can ask any questions, get information about your situation, and we'd be glad to help.