Just a few weeks after TalkTalk's high-profile security breach, another large company has fallen victim to hackers. Hong Kong-based company VTech announced that its Kidizoom smartwatch and InnoTab may have exposed customers to identity theft, with the details of over 6 million children being stolen.
With internet-capable devices for children (such as those produced by VTech) becoming ever more popular, it is worrying to see that manufacturers' security systems are possibly leaving some of the youngest, most vulnerable members of society at risk. According to cyber security expert Tom Kellermann, children can sometimes present an attractive target for fraudulent claims due to their clean credit record and the possibility of a longer life in front of them.
While the information acquired by the hackers has yet to turn up on forums where such data is sold, the damage inflicted on both parents and VTech itself may already be too late to reverse. Customers will still be left shaken by the possibility that personal information about their children is being shared amongst criminals, while VTech (who are already seeing a fall in stock prices) can surely expect to see a drop in sales and use of its services as a direct result of the breach.
As these two latest examples of internet security hacks have highlighted, failure of security systems (particularly where customer details are concerned) can launch your business into the public eye for all the wrong reasons, potentially causing you to lose trade from future and existing customers.
To avoid finding yourself in a similar situation with your own business, it is vitally important to implement an information security management system that's compliant with ISO 27001 standards. This helps your company to better manage sensitive information, minimising the risk of a security breach. To find out more about how NPT Management Systems can help you achieve this, please get in touch today.
