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The number of organizations reporting a loss of confidential information has soared by 55% in the past two years.
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Software Vulnerabilities: How Exposed Are You
By Mel Duvall
The number of organizations reporting a loss of confidential information has soared by 55% in the past two years, according to a national security survey conducted by research firm The Strategic Counsel.
The 2008 Security and Privacy Survey, which was sponsored by software firm CA and is a follow-up to a 2006 study, found that more than 34% of organizations reported a loss of confidential information in 2008 as a result of security attacks or breaches, up from 22% in 2006. The direct result has been a corresponding reduced level of customer satisfaction and an increased loss of trust or confidence in the organization.
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The survey of 500 large companies pointed to a change in the types and severity of security threats. In 2008, 44% of respondents identified internal breaches as a key security challenge, compared with 42% in 2006, and 15% in 2003. Conversely, the number of respondents reporting virus attacks decreased from 68% in 2006 to 59% in 2008, and denial-of-service attacks also fell from 40% in 2006 to 26% in 2008.
"The survey points to an increase in the severity of consequences of internal breaches," said Lina Liberti, vice president of CA's security practice. "The implications are now tied squarely to dollars and reputation."
This week a former database administrator at Certegy Check Services was sentenced to 57 months in prison, after admitting to the theft of personal data on some 8.5 million consumers. He later sold the information to data brokers.
Florida District Court Judge Steven Merryday ordered William Sullivan, a resident of Pinellas County in the Tampa area, to pay almost $3.2 million in restitution.
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