The rapid development of digital communication has resulted in a substantial increase in internet crimes around the world, with approximately 5 million incidents reported in the United States alone over the past decade. Cybercrime is estimated to have a trillion-dollar global economic impact due to extortion, fraud, and identity theft against all types of victims, including individuals, small businesses, and official institutions.
Several factors contribute to the sharp rise of online crimes, including Moore’s Law.
Originally coined by Intel co-founder George Moore in 1965, the term describes a two-fold increase in microchip power every two years while computer and information technology costs are halved. As internet transactions become more prevalent and high-performance computing becomes more affordable, modern hackers have unprecedented advantages and near limitless opportunities to commit fraud.
As cybercrime becomes easier, cheaper, and more sophisticated, its targets are also more diverse, ranging from senior citizens to government agencies.
Among the most lucrative and common cyber-threats are ransomware attacks, in which outside actors threaten the computing infrastructure of a company or individual and demand ransom payments in exchange for removing the threat. This is not only problematic from a perspective of financial blackmail, but it also disrupts productivity and operations in a way that can have catastrophic consequences for an organization depending on the nature of the business.
As an example, healthcare facilities may not be able to provide critical treatment or access patient information if their networks are compromised, while online retailers may lose the trust of loyal customers if their credit card information is hacked.
The integrity of a network depends on many factors, but fiber-optic broadband technology offers the highest level of security in terms of broadband technology.
The main difference between fiber and other forms of connectivity is that it involves light pulses transmitted through thin strands of glass or plastic that are very hard to penetrate.
The majority of intruders break fiber optic glass cables when attempting to splice them, making it easier for system administrators to detect and prevent unauthorized attacks. In contrast, undetected tapping and interception of wireless satellite transmissions and electrical copper wire signals can be easily accomplished and occurs frequently.
In addition to the security offered by fiber-based networks like Open Infra’s, there are also other measures you can take to prevent cybercrime, including encryption, firewalls, spyware, and limiting internal access to systems.
Do you have questions about fiber optics for your business?
Reach out to us by email at info@openinfra.com!