As technology continues to evolve, more businesses - of all sizes and across all industries - are becoming more reliant on computers and other mobile devices. This is one reason why company leaders need to have a strong insurance policy in place that accounts for data breaches. With sensitive information being stored online, hackers can do much damage when they are able to access a certain system.
Without properly educating employees, and having the necessary coverages in place, the recovery process could be long and expensive. Not only must business reputations be rebuilt, but there could be heavy fines for compromised data and creating a new system might not be very easy. However, working with commercial insurance specialists who understand the intricacies of high tech insurance can be greatly beneficial.
One of the latest organizations to fall prey to a cyber attack is the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts. According to The Associated Press, the organization was hacked sometime between last fall and February of this year. As the public website was breached, nearly 160,000 Social Security numbers and 1 million driver's license numbers could have been accessed.
While only 94 Social Security numbers were confirmed to have been taken, officials said that they alerted the public as a precaution.
Michael Cockrill, the state's chief information officer, said in a written statement that there were no breaches to other state agencies.
"Cybersecurity and cyberterrorism attacks continue to rise in number and sophistication every year, affecting the private and public sector, and countless individuals," Cockrill said. "The AOC data breach is a sobering reminder for every branch and every level of government that protection of personal and confidential data entrusted to government is a paramount responsibility."