A world famous hacker visited computer support company SMP in West Henrietta to talk about cyber security.
These days, Kevin Mitnick is a consultant for businesses that are trying to strengthen their internal networks. Mitnick runs simulated attacks, called penetration tests, on companies in order to expose their vulnerabilities.
He says the most common and most effective form of hacking is something he calls social engineering.
"It's when we can use manipulation, deception, and influence to get a target to comply with a request."
Usually, this request is to click a hyperlink, or open an attachment. Mitnick says this psychological manipulation works in 100% of the simulations he's run over the last 14 years.
Most recently, CIA Director John Brennan became the target of one of these phishing schemes. A hacker says he conned Verizon employees into giving out Brennan's account information by posing as another employee, and used that information to access his personal AOL email account.
Mitnick says hackers can also get in by planting fake updates for applications on your computer, that will prompt you to click and download malware that could compromise your files, and your company's network.
If it sounds hopeless, Mitnick says it's not. The good news is, he says, there are things individuals and businesses can do to protect themselves. Individuals can strengthen passwords, and use two-step verification on their accounts.
Businesses, he says, can educate their employees about the risks of opening email attachments. He says they can also strengthen security protocols on their networks.
In a past life, Mitnick was a high-profile hacker, and even spent five years in prison for his cyber security attacks. He says, what motivated him as a hacker was "curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and seduction of adventure."
But things are different now.
"The trend is all about money, so hacking is a tool to steal."
For this reason, Mitnick says its even more important than ever to protect yourself and your business.
