What can attackers take from your devices?

Anything! In this article we will consider some of the things that can be taken from a home and business perspective.

🏠HOME USE

If your home devices (PC, tablets, mobiles) are infiltrated, then attackers will look for anything personal that can sell, or, that they can put pressure on you to pay a ransom to have returned.

Documents they could take can include:

➡️Photos, videos, passports/ID and other confidential documents scanned on your computer, files, emails…

Even on your home computer you may be working on something you intend to publish or disseminate in some way one day. Hackers will look for any intellectual property that they can sell. This is why cyber attacks don’t just put your identity at risk.

Depending on how they have accessed your computer hackers have also been harvesting over time the credentials you use to log into services you use (software/websites) and they may have over time been noting what is of use to them on your system and network. If they have, they will then try to log into the services you use and see what they can take from there.

🏢SMALL BUSINESSES / PRACTICES

Similarly, if your workplace devices and network is infiltrated then attackers will look for anything that they can sell, or, that they can put pressure on you to pay a ransom to have returned.

Documents they could take can include*:

➡️Employee documents (contracts, ID), corporate documents, contracts, technical documents, intellectual property, files, photos, videos (meetings or client conversations), emails.

Here also, hackers may have also been harvesting over time the credentials you use to log into services you use (software/websites). Another threat is where hackers take over a mail box and act as if they are an employee and request colleagues to take some actions (such as make a payment).

*Note I say include! These are examples - you can also see it as anything that can be moved off your devices is vulnerable. Some attacks have involved all of a company’s documents being removed and put up for sale. In other attacks, attackers take everything and then later decide what to sell. They may take screen shots and send to you to prove what they have.