North Jersey News Calls on Torrenzano - NYSE, United and WSJ All Victims of Old Tech

Vulnerable computer systems, hacking fears are here to stay, experts say

Computer glitches that brought America’s largest airline, its oldest stock exchange and its leading business newspaper to a halt for hours on Wednesday may signal a new era of vulnerability for the increasingly complex computer systems that power the nation’s economy, technology experts said Wednesday.

The breakdowns may be part of a larger trend, in which corporate America’s aging computer systems struggle to keep up with more, faster and ever-more-complex streams of data.

...Changes at the New York Stock Exchange have been more radical. On Nov. 5, 1980, at the dawn of the computer age, the exchange handled 84.3 million shares, according to a New York Times story that year. That daily total hit 601 million in 2010, according to the U.S. census.

“The platforms were put in place 10 to 15 years ago. They are complex, and they have many layers,” said Torrenzano, now CEO of The Torrenzano Group, a public relations firm that specializes in crisis response. “That doesn’t mean they’re bad. But do they have the best safeguards for today’s world? I would venture to guess the answer is no.”

Continue reading: Vulnerable computer systems, hacking fears are here to stay, experts say

---