Federal officials busted eight individuals from Russia, Moldova, and Estonia for what authorities are calling “one of the most complex computer hacking rings in the world.” The ring was able to profitably take $9 million in less than 12 hours by hacking into payroll debit card information last November.

Hackers are in all places but the fact that they came from Estonia and Moldova is fascinating. Russia has lots of hackers but Moldova and Estonia aren’t the initial places most people think of when it comes to brilliant hackers.

The funds came up missing from the Royal Bank of Scotland Group in Atlanta in 2008. The band of hackers was able to successfully crack the encryption that was protecting consumer data on payroll debit cards at the bank. After breaking in, and pinching the customer data they even elevated the account limits on the compromised accounts. Thus securing even more money and screwing up innumerable accounts.

Then, the ring of hackers had a collection of “cashers” set up. There were 44 forged payroll debit cards in which $9 million was taken from over 2,100 ATMS in 280 cities worldwide. The majority of which were located in the U.S. The investigation is still going but at any rate the authorities won indictments against the eight people. This was a giant undertaking and it would be fascinating to know the man hours and logistics that went behind this operation.

Hacking is a huge problem and it’s only getting worse. Attacks are launched endlessly at private sites as well as government sites. There are hackers that work by themselves, for corporations, and their governments. Just last summer North Korea started a new military section with 100 hackers onboard.

This special military unit of hackers is specifically responsible for breaking into enemy networks and stealing vulnerable data. The group is also accountable for creating malicious programs that have the capability to take down IT infrastructure if a war erupts.

This is no laughing matter and the idea is scary. There are continuously reports on the news about cyber attacks against the U.S. government commonly from North Korea, China, or Russia. Only a few months ago hackers got into the U.S. electric grid and government websites. They were guilty of disruptions and viruses that totally shut down the system for two weeks.

IT Security is very important and there is a high demand for professionals. Governments and corporations are constantly looking for specialists with the talents, wisdom, and ability to resolve problems. They earn high wages and are responsible for the safety measures of the site which protects the operations of the site as well as data and capital.

Gigantic cyber attacks not only affect customers and companies, but also people. Each day at every hour and every single minute there are cyber attacks. Anything is doable with a computer and the internet, which is why these attacks are so dangerous. There is a high demand for IT experts that specialize in security and battling hackers and their malicious programs.

Everybody has enemies out there and it’s crucial to defend yourself from attacks. A college degree in Information Technology and Security will put you on the quick track to a career that will protect companies and government from external threats. This is a billion dollar business and you may be able to avoid the next $9 million dollar hacking job from happening.

About the author: Diane Johnson writes articles and blogs about current events, accredited online schools and online degrees.

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