(Trinidad Express) “Make no mistake about it; the threat of computer attacks in the Caribbean is real. Caribbean networks are already under constant attack from hackers from across the world.”
This statement from Gregory Richardson, CEO of US-based computer security firm Leet Networks, came from a special regional forum for computer professionals organized by the Caribbean Network Operators Group, CaribNOG in Castries, St Lucia.
According to Richardson, organisations in the region and around the world are storing an increasing amount of information on computer networks.
“There is a dangerous flipside to this explosion in electronic data. As computer networks connect to the Internet, they are susceptible to attack by modern-day digital pirates, known as computer hackers.”
Wooding, a Trinidad-born technology expert, led the CaribNOG team of ethical hackers from the US and the Caribbean that shared practical measures to help protect corporate networks and data from online hackers.
Wooding explained that the objective of the CaribNOG St Lucia meeting was to bring attention to the threats governments and business face from computer attacks and to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas and experiences between those responsible for managing our networks.’
According to Wooding, “An ethical hacker is a basically a computer expert who attacks a security system on behalf of its owners, seeking vulnerabilities that a malicious hacker could exploit. They are the good guys.”
He explained that in order to test a security system, ethical hackers use some of the same techniques as their less principled counterparts, but report problems and help resolve vulnerabilities instead of taking advantage of them.
Wooding cautioned, “Hacking presents a very real and serious risk to consumers, businesses and governments in the Caribbean and around the world. Some people mistakenly believe that smaller companies are less likely to be a target of attacks. But as large companies strengthen their network security, hackers are increasingly focusing on small and medium-sized businesses. This makes the Caribbean a very attractive location for hackers.”
The CaribNOG team stressed that it is vitally important that organisations and individuals take the necessary steps to protect their identities and to secure private and corporate data. The key, Wooding said, was to think of computer security not as a technical concern but as a business continuity issue.
“At first glance, network security might seem too complex, and tackling it might seem like too much work, particularly for small businesses. Modern organisations should view security planning as essential as accounting, sales and advertising. This is not a stretch since, for many firms, computer networks have become a basic part of doing business today, ” Wooding said.
