Hold Security, a firm based in Milwaukee, has reported to the New York Times that they’ve discovered a massive theft of confidential data gathered from more than 420,000 websites, ranging from large household names to small business sites. Taking into account overlap from site to site, they’ve estimated that the Russian crime ring responsible has managed to gather about 1.2 billion username and password combinations that could be used for massive identity theft.

Experts say attacks like this and other recent data thefts, such as last year’s attack on Adobe Systems, show how fast cybercrime continues to evolve. Is your IT security keeping up with the criminals? Are you ensuring your confidential data is kept secure?

Too many businesses believe their technology is secure after installing some anti-virus software. Unfortunately, IT security isn’t like safeguarding your office. While you can invest thousands in alarm systems, security guards, or other physical security systems that will remain effective for years to come, IT security needs to be flexible and ready to adapt at a moment’s notice to threats like this recent data theft.

And did you know there’s more at risk than just your IT systems and confidential data? Studies have shown that most businesses that have been victimized by data theft lose their hard-won reputation with their clients, who inevitably turn to their competition for better security.

Have you ever discussed ongoing security with your IT Support Company? IT security is more than just installing anti-virus software, spam filtering, and firewalls – you need a dedicated team of IT security experts who can react quickly to new threats and adapt your security solutions to match.

Your local experts can keep your business safe with solutions like 24/7 monitoring of your systems, increased data security and encryption, business continuity planning and disaster recovery services, and simply remaining up-to-date on recent security threats like this.

Outsourcing your IT security to a trusted team of Support Professionals can give your business peace of mind knowing that you’ll be prepared for any cybercrime disasters like this recent Russian data theft. Contact your trusted IT support team today to get an analysis of your business’s IT security and ensure your reputation remains untarnished.