This week, it was announced that the Chinese government was behind the massive 2017 Equifax data breach that exposed the information of 147 million people. Since Mandiant (now FireEye) exposed the People’s Liberation Army’s secretive hacking group in 2013, dozens of other state-sponsored groups, known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), have been identified. These groups, sponsored by the likes of China, Russia, and North Korea have been involved in espionage and other cyberattacks against U.S. companies.

Though going up against a nation-state actor can seem like an unwinnable scenario, having a good cybersecurity plan can keep you from becoming a victim. In many cases, out of date software was used by APTs to break into networks. In the case of Equifax, it was an old version of a commonly used web framework that gave the hackers the foothold they needed to pull off the data heist. Keeping an eye on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exploits (CVE) database will alert you to important fixes that you should install ASAP. And partnering with a trusted IT service provider who specializes in cybersecurity can be another way to protect your network and your business.

And since the motivation behind many of these breaches is espionage, you’ll also want to make sure that any equipment leaving your organization doesn’t contain any sensitive data that can be stolen or used against you. Things like passwords, personal information on employees or customers, and proprietary information like design or manufacturing data can easily fall into the wrong hands once it leaves your control. But, CyberCrunch is here to help. We’ll pick up your old equipment and wipe, shred or destroy it so that none of your sensitive data can fall into the wrong hands.

Protect your business from cyber-espionage: Contact us today for a free quote.