While companies rely on peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks to help employees do their jobs more efficiently, hackers prey on these networks as a means of lifting confidential info.
Here are two extreme — and very high profile — cases of what can happen when companies don’t have the proper safeguards in place to protect against file-sharing hackers:
- Example #1: After one Pfizer worker installed an unauthorized file-sharing program on his PC, 17,000 employees ended up having their personal info compromised.
- Example #2: At Wagner Resource Corp., 2,000 client records — containing names, Social Security numbers, etc., were stolen by way of P2P.
While these are extreme cases, there’s a real need to check in with IT right now to make sure your firm is well protected. Why? Cases of identity theft have been increasing steadily.
To keep your company safe, have IT block the installation of all file-sharing software on PCs and laptops that connect to your firm’s network.
