For years, few people knew about HBGary Inc., a Sacramento tech firm working on the esoteric frontiers of cybersecurity.
Then a bizarre episode turned the 30-employee firm into a combination global laughingstock and villain.
A maker of software designed to thwart hackers, HBGary was itself victimized by hackers in February. The group called Anonymous stole thousands of HBGary's emails and gleefully posted them on the Internet.
As if that weren't bad enough, the emails revealed a dirty-tricks scheme, cooked up by HBGary's sister company, to undermine foes of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The plot brought a cascade of cybercrimes and threats to HBGary's headquarters in a Fair Oaks Boulevard office complex. Customers postponed purchases.
"We were terrified," said Chief Executive Greg Hoglund. "I saw all the fruits of my labor, my livelihood, being jeopardized."
Read more: Hacked cybersecurity firm HBGary
Until such time as cybercrime is a thing of the past it is up to each organization and person within access to the Internet to take personal responsibility for Internet security awareness. Now is the time to proof up your employees against cybercrime; the means is with Internet security awareness training. Take a free Internet security phishing test!
Then a bizarre episode turned the 30-employee firm into a combination global laughingstock and villain.
A maker of software designed to thwart hackers, HBGary was itself victimized by hackers in February. The group called Anonymous stole thousands of HBGary's emails and gleefully posted them on the Internet.
As if that weren't bad enough, the emails revealed a dirty-tricks scheme, cooked up by HBGary's sister company, to undermine foes of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The plot brought a cascade of cybercrimes and threats to HBGary's headquarters in a Fair Oaks Boulevard office complex. Customers postponed purchases.
"We were terrified," said Chief Executive Greg Hoglund. "I saw all the fruits of my labor, my livelihood, being jeopardized."
Read more: Hacked cybersecurity firm HBGary
Until such time as cybercrime is a thing of the past it is up to each organization and person within access to the Internet to take personal responsibility for Internet security awareness. Now is the time to proof up your employees against cybercrime; the means is with Internet security awareness training. Take a free Internet security phishing test!
