Hacking in the movies looks so cool. Someone with a keyboard and five screens frantically types in some code, and a few seconds later: “I’m in.” That’s it– they now have all the information they need to access nuclear missile codes, blackmail a billionaire, or completely shut down a building’s security system.

With it now being so easy to share information, we have a tendency to over-divulge. We check into public places online, tell the world when we’re going on holiday and where, and send and receive risqué photos. However, when it became public knowledge that the NSA, internet service providers, and trusted social media platforms were able to monitor our private messages, the choice to share or not to share was taken away from us.

Protecting your data, and that of your clients, should be central to all of your business practices. Customers entrust companies with often very sensitive data, and it should be used and stored safely. Cyber security should be a priority in companies of any size, but when you’re a small business without a big security budget, how do you keep yourself protected?

Over the last decade, cloud computing has revolutionized the way we handle and store data, which has, in turn, paved the way for greater innovations in technology. What can we expect from cloud computing as the technology advances?

The majority of the public has a decent general knowledge of technology, especially as younger generations grow up surrounded by phones, tablets, and virtual reality simulations. However, with technology as an industry spanning across many categories and developers creating new specialisms each year, there are still those who distinguish themselves and emerge into the industry with revolutionary ideas.

It’s a well-known and often repeated business motto that it is cheaper to retain customers than it is to attract new ones. In order to save on marketing, networking, and the cost of potentially losing disgruntled customers, your customer service needs to be on point. You should already have a strong team in place whose focus is on service, but consumers are starting to expect more from the companies they support.

Performing a security risk assessment has become an economic and functional necessity in the digital economy. Cyber-threats and many of the legal and operational aspects of data-handling now constitute as much of a challenge to enterprise success as effective marketing, and continuous service delivery.

Recent news has broken about a group of hackers which appears to be operating out of Russia. The group, dubbed “Silence,” is believed to be involved in the theft of over $800,000 from multiple Russian and Eastern European financial institutions. However, what is particularly notable about this group is they seem to count at least one former cyber security professional among their number.