The importance of computer and Internet security was on display when Burger King’s official Twitter account was hacked. This was reported by CNET News on Monday, February 18, 2013. The fast-food chain’s account was changed to display the name and logo of McDonald’s, which is Burger King’s biggest direct competition.
The compromised account sent out tweets that included racial epithets to over 80,000 followers. It also claimed to be sold to McDonald’s because “the whopper flopped.” The Whopper is a hamburger that is sold by Burger King. The company was forced to suspend the account and issue apologies to those who received the tweets.
An anonymous hacker group appeared to take credit for the hack on the account. There was no apparent motive other than to provide amusement for those that aren’t hurt when Burger King is made to look foolish.
It should serve as a warning to the rest of us when a large company like Burger King can be embarrassed publicly like this. Whether a company or a private user, a breach of computer and Internet security can cause plenty of damage.
Breach of computer and Internet security hurts Burger King’s public image
Hackers are always on the prowl for their next targets. Like any thief, the less secure a potential target is, the more inviting the target becomes. If a thief is casing a neighborhood and sees one house with doors wide open and another with doors locked and a dog guarding the yard, which house do you think he’ll be targeting? He might be able to get past the dog and unlock the door, but why do that when he can just walk in the wide-open doors?
The same is true for hackers. If they find a computer or network that has no protection, they will find the target hard to resist. So, while your computer and Internet security may not be able to defend against any and all attacks, it will serve well as a deterrent to help hackers decide to look for an easier target.
While no computer and Internet security measures are completely hack-proof, you still want to do as much as you can to make everything as secure as possible so that hackers will not see your systems as prime targets. Seeking out professionals for your computer and Internet security needs is the best way to assure that you’re getting the best security possible. That level of security will help you rest easy knowing that you’ve done all you can to protect yourself.
