A cyber-thief can scan thousands of Internet Protocol addresses at a time, looking for a system that handles business transactions. Once found, it can be taken over quickly.

“For a hacker to gain access and be able to get the information out, it takes minutes,” U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Tadd Downs told a business gathering Tuesday in Evergreen.

That’s why businesses need to be aggressive in their own digital security, Downs said.

Downs spoke with members of the business community about data breaches at a forum at the Evergreen Fire Hall. Representatives from retail, banking, real estate and other businesses were on hand.

Notable breaches of credit card information have made headlines in recent years for businesses such as Target and Super 1 Foods, but it isn’t always the large corporations that are victims. A 19-year veteran of the Secret Service, Downs said many small and mid-sized businesses become targets because security isn’t always tight. 

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office handled 69 cases of credit-card fraud in 2014.

“It affects Flathead County and it keeps us very busy,” Flathead Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Bruyer said.

Downs’ presentation focused on safeguarding against point-of-sale security breaches. Those involve the computer systems that handle credit card transactions for businesses. 

Information such as credit card numbers usually is sent over the Internet to be processed at the end of the day, and that is often the entry point for thieves.

“If they find a POS [point of sale] system, they’re going to issue likely credentials,” Downs said.

That means the hacker will try to gain access using default or common passwords because business owners often don’t update them. Downs said the many people still use “password” or “123456” as access codes. Once hackers identify a specific system, they can install malware to extract data and sell it on the black market.

In recent years, Verizon Communications has produced a comprehensive data breach investigations report. The latest report says that while point-of-sale intrusions have been on a downward trend, they still affect many smaller companies. 

Most of the time, businesses don’t immediately realize it. According to the Verizon report, 99 percent of point-of-sale intrusions are discovered by someone outside the victim company.

Downs said that basic steps, such as placing personalized and secure passwords around point-of-sale systems, can help protect businesses. There are other safeguards as well, such as running anti-virus software, installing security updates and limiting Internet access.

Amid the headline-grabbing data breaches of recent years, small local businesses are becoming more interested in their own security. Bev Ferris, executive director of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, said that she has noticed the attention.

“People will be more aware of the situations that are going on,” she said.

Proactive measures are important, Downs said, since it’s often difficult to prosecute cyber-thieves. They’re often located in foreign countries and are technologically savvy. 

Arrests do happen, however, and new technology is constantly being updated. There’s a push in the United States for businesses to use chip-enabled credit cards, which help secure purchases. 

But as security measures pop up and mitigate problems, hackers eventually find cracks. Downs said that it’s an ongoing battle in the digital world.

“Criminals are only limited by their creativity,” he said. “They will catch on eventually.”

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at [email protected].