Sometimes it's the unknown or overlooked little mistakes that leave an organization wide open to attack: a missing hash mark in a server configuration, a long-forgotten PBX user account, or an embedded Web server in an office printer.

With compliance pressures, increasingly cagey malware, and the fear of being the next front-page data breach victim, it's no wonder that enterprises might not notice potential problems with their lower-profile devices, or make subtle configuration mistakes.

Even so, ignorance is no excuse when the bad guys hone in on an inconspicuous weakness, like a few older, rarely used desktops that haven't been updated with the latest patches. It takes only one weak link for an attacker to gain a foothold into an organization and steal valuable data, or set up shop for long-term cyberespionage.

Spooked yet? Take a look at some subtle but potentially dangerous mistakes enterprises make that could come back to haunt you. Kelly Jackson Higgins is the Executive Editor of Dark Reading. She is an award-winning veteran technology and business journalist with more than two decades of experience in reporting and editing for various publications, including Network Computing, Secure Enterprise ... View Full Bio

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