| ent developments regarding the Large Hadron Collider | | | | hacking to expose and plug weaknesses in websites, |
| — a machine built to try and figure out how the | | | | and it is these services that should be used more and |
| Big Bang happened — were overshadowed not | | | | more if we are to keep on top of the hackers, rather |
| long after the experiment started by news that | | | | than it being the other way around. |
| hackers had managed to access one of the | | | | After all, wouldn’t you rather pay the money to |
| computers being used for the experiment to register | | | | get an ethical hacker to try and break through your |
| their distaste at what was going on. | | | | defences so they can remedy any problems you may |
| While the experiment itself was unharmed the general | | | | have, than wait for someone who isn’t so |
| public cannot now find out what is going on because | | | | ethical to do it for you? In the latter case you |
| the website related to it has been hacked and cannot | | | | won’t get any help to make sure no one else |
| be accessed. | | | | gets through — all you will get is hassle and the |
| So in answer to the question posed by the title of this | | | | problems they leave behind. |
| piece, the answer would appear to be that we are still | | | | Just as people are coming up with new ways to |
| some way behind them. | | | | break through systems, so the ethical hacking |
| Hackers act on all kinds of motives, and one of the | | | | companies are developing ways to combat them, and |
| reasons why they have so many opportunities to hack | | | | if you want your business to be as secure as it can |
| into websites is that some people think they are only | | | | possibly be then you owe it to yourself, your staff and |
| at risk if their site takes payment information from | | | | your clients to pay for the best knowledge out there |
| others. That simply isn’t the case, because | | | | today. |
| some hackers do what they do simply to compromise | | | | So in reality, it is perfectly true that a lot of companies |
| internet security, or to make a point of how easy it | | | | are still behind the hackers and are running the risk of |
| can be to hack into a facility. There are numerous | | | | being hacked into and subjected to a lot of damage |
| examples of hackers managing to get past the | | | | every single day. It is those businesses who have |
| defences of government websites and those relating | | | | essentially invested the money in their future that will |
| to parts of the law, so there is clearly no single reason | | | | remain as secure as it is possible to be, as they have |
| why websites are continuing to be hacked into and | | | | hired the best computer security company they can |
| exposed as being insecure as a result. | | | | afford to make sure they are fully protected both now |
| But there are services out there that use ethical | | | | and in the future. |