The term” information technology” (IT) refers to the technology that all businesses and other organizations must use in the current era to operate successfully and efficiently.
One issue with which organizations must grapple is that large amounts of sensitive, personal information about clients, customers, users, and an organization’s operations move through these systems daily. A lot of this information is stored in databases.
These systems and databases must be kept secure, and that access is strictly limited to legitimate users. Making security more challenging is the fact that an organization’s computer systems are networked within an organization and connected to the internet beyond it.
This is especially true in the areas of law enforcement, criminal justice agencies, and legal practices, where there is a need for information to flow easily, while the need for security is essential. Lawyers who deal with trade secret issues and the companies that depend on their trade secrets would also have a special interest in IT security. But today, every business should recognize that it has a vitally important interest in protecting its IT systems.
Because online IT security is essential for every type of organization, and especially in government agencies, there is a high demand for workers with training in internet security who have the expertise needed to ensure both the capacity to exchange information and ideas while at the same time maintaining secrecy.
So, for example, a large law firm, perhaps with many criminal defense attorneys who communicate with one another about sensitive client matters, today must have an adequate staff of professionals devoted to maintaining their internet security and protecting the firm’s database from security breaches.
What Are Some Well-known Data Breaches?
Already this year, there have been some significant data breaches. For example, in January 2023, a malicious, unauthorized person was found to have gained access to the IT systems of T-Mobile in November of 2022. Such personal information as the names, emails, and birthdays of over 37 million T-Mobile network customers was accessed.
Reportedly, after T-Mobile had identified the data breach, it was able to track down the source and contain the damage quickly. But note that it took months for the breach to be discovered.
T-Mobile expects to incur a large expense because of this data breach. That may be because they have the experience of the $350 million settlement they had to pay their customers to settle an earlier data breach in August of 2021. So, T-Mobile understands clearly that poor security can cost a company hundreds of millions. In addition, an organization can lose customers if they have been victimized by multiple security breaches while doing business with an organization.
Because of the T-Mobile breach, Google Fi experienced a significant breach. That is because it comes as a consequence of the T-Mobile data breach that came before it. Google did not have its own IT network infrastructure and used T-Mobile’s network. So Google was affected by the massive T-Mobile data breach, which compromised Google customers’ phone numbers. From this experience, it can be seen how far-reaching and significant data breaches can be.
At first glance, it may seem as though accessing some phone numbers is hardly a big deal, but cybercriminals can thrive from possessing simple phone numbers. They can mount telephone phishing attacks intended to deceive users into giving away valuable personal information that can perpetuate identity theft on victims. If a person is a Google Fi user, they may want to be especially vigilant about suspicious messages.
But phishing expeditions by cybercriminals are just one of the types of assaults that can happen to any organization at any time. They must be defended against consistently. And everyone who uses a computer or a cell phone should constantly be vigilant.
What Is a Ransomware Attack?
Another type of attack that has become increasingly common is the ransomware attack. Ransomware is a kind of malicious software that criminals can insert into an organization’s IT system. It prevents authorized employees from accessing the organization’s computer files, systems, or networks until the organization pays the criminals a hefty monetary ransom. So, it is like a kidnapping, except an organization’s IT system is kidnapped and not a person.
Ransomware attacks can take days or even weeks to resolve, thus causing expensive disruptions to operations. Secure information can be compromised, and reputations for competence demolished. Without even knowing it, an employee of an organization can download ransomware onto a computer by opening an email attachment, clicking an ad, following a link, or even visiting a website in which malware is embedded.
In a ransomware attack, a code is loaded onto a computer. It causes access to the computer system or data and files stored within it to be locked. Malware versions can encrypt files and folders on local drives and other computers that share the same network.
Most of the time, the person who downloaded the malware does not even know their computer has been infected. The attack may only be discovered when no one can access data. Or, the attack may be revealed when someone within the organization sees computer messages telling them of the attack and demanding the ransom payment.
The best way to avoid ransomware is for an organization to train its employees to be safety-conscious and careful users of IT. Malware distributors are constantly perfecting their methods of attack. Everyone in an organization who uses a computer must think before they download material or click on links.
How Can Breaches and Attacks Be Prevented?
Of course, the best possible defense is to employ the professionals needed to manage an organization’s IT as expertly as possible. The overall goal is to ensure that it is impossible, or at least virtually impossible, for unauthorized users to access an organization’s internal network while, at the same time, employees can use them freely and efficiently.
In addition, employees must be trained to avoid infecting an organization’s computer system with dangerous and destructive ransomware. It is probably best practice to anticipate the possibility of problems and have a plan for responding.
Managing security for a large computer network takes great technical training and the right kind of on-the-job experience. Some people may be able to acquire the necessary skills exclusively through work experience and self-study.
However, it may also be a good idea to get solid academic training for a person considering employment in this field. Training at an accredited college or university with the best reputation in the field can only be a plus.
In addition, a person interested in the best employment opportunities would want to complete the coursework and testing needed to obtain certifications, such as the CCNA, A+, Network+, and Security+.
A person looking to enter the labor market in cybersecurity would do well to select their educational program carefully. Because of the demand for employees in this area and the number of people interested in gaining the necessary skills, degrees, and certifications, many private companies offer courses.
Some are undoubtedly reputable, but others may not be. So, a person should carefully research the options and perhaps stick to the offerings of accredited colleges and universities. Many excellent schools offer the necessary courses of study completely online and at a competitive cost.
People with a formal education in internet security training can usually get started on their careers faster than those who rely only on learning through experience. The fact that an applicant has a degree or certification can serve as a confidence boost to an employer, increasing an applicant’s chances of getting the job. At the very least, the employer will know they have hired a person with formal training in their field.
If a breach or attack does happen, involving law enforcement and carefully formulating the organization’s response would be critical. Again, planning a response before it happens can be quite helpful.
Do I Need a Lawyer for Help with My IT Security Issue?
If your organization’s IT system or databases have been breached or attacked, a first line of defense may be to report the incident to local law enforcement and seek their guidance on involving other law enforcement agencies, e.g., the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An organization needs to formulate a response for customers and others whose information may have been compromised. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can help craft an appropriate response, including how to manage the payment of compensation, if needed.
Your lawyer can guide you through possible insurance and other legal and technical issues that may arise while responding to a significant data breach or ransomware attack. Your lawyer may also be able to provide valuable advice about avoiding problems in the future and how to prepare a legal response if it happens again.
