The Reasons Databases Get Hacked

If you’ve ever survived a data breach, you might be paranoid about the next one. The odds of running into a hacker seem inevitable these days, so protecting your personal and business data is pertinent to your livelihood. The private information you collect from personnel and clients is unique to your business—you don’t want this information getting into the wrong hands. Keep reading to uncover all the reasons databases get hacked so you will know how to keep your data secure.

Feed Their Ego

The original hackers broke into computer systems to prove that they could. Today, however, people hack systems to show that something is broken or to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities. While a few people hack for fun or to help make improvements, these are not nefarious hackers. At worst, they might place a code on your computer that allows them to take control of your device, which you may have to pay to have removed.

Make Money

The main reason hackers hack is for money. They can encrypt your files and demand a ransom for them. This is known as ransomware. Businesses and people fall prey to scams like phishing—which is when a webpage or email disguises itself to look like a familiar source—and may end up paying large fees to retrieve their sensitive data. You can potentially avoid mistakes like this when you use document scanning and properly encrypt your own digital files.

Cause a Disruption

Some hackers have a social justice motivation known as hacktivism. Their aim is to expose an injustice, often taking up political motives. This often involves breaking into social media accounts to expose user data and sensitive information. For example, hackers have leaked government official’s emails and personal images of celebrities. Furthermore, a common type of hack that causes disruption is a denial of service (DoS), which crashes a server and disrupts many websites. Additionally, spoofing puts a code on your computer that denies you access to your files.

Steal Your Identity

One of the most nefarious reasons that hackers do what they do is to steal your identity. With an identity that is not their own, hackers can take out a loan, apply for credit cards, transfer money out of your account, and use your money to buy whatever they want. In fact, reports of stolen identities have increased with the rise of mobile banking.

The reason databases get hacked is that companies don’t use enough security. There are always going to be people with nefarious means, which means businesses must stay ahead of the game by hiring security teams and using the best technology available.