Insider threat exaggerated, says report

**Glaswegian** · 06-13-2008, 03:08 PM

Insiders are not, after all, the main threat to networks, a detailed new analysis of real-world data breaches has concluded.

Verizon’s 2008 Data Breach Investigations Report, which looked at 500 breach incidents over the last four years, contradicts the growing orthodoxy that insiders, rather than external agents, represent the most serious threat to network security at most organisations.

Seventy-three percent of the breaches involved outsiders, 18 percent resulted from the actions of insiders, with business partners blamed for 39 percent – the percentages exceed 100 percent due to the fact that some involve multiple breaches, with varying degrees of internal or external involvement.

“The relative infrequency of data breaches attributed to insiders may be surprising to some. It is widely believed and commonly reported that insider incidents outnumber those caused by other sources,” the report states.

http://www.techworld.com/security/ne...&NewsID=101757

06-13-2008, 03:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Glaswegian Moderator/ Rangemaster TSF Academy; Analyst, Security Team; Oor Wullie; TSF Surgeon and Resident Comic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Glasgow Posts: 25,432 OS: Win XP Pro SP3 / Win 7 Pro My System Blog Entries: 10	Insider threat exaggerated, says report Insiders are not, after all, the main threat to networks, a detailed new analysis of real-world data breaches has concluded. Verizon’s 2008 Data Breach Investigations Report, which looked at 500 breach incidents over the last four years, contradicts the growing orthodoxy that insiders, rather than external agents, represent the most serious threat to network security at most organisations. Seventy-three percent of the breaches involved outsiders, 18 percent resulted from the actions of insiders, with business partners blamed for 39 percent – the percentages exceed 100 percent due to the fact that some involve multiple breaches, with varying degrees of internal or external involvement. “The relative infrequency of data breaches attributed to insiders may be surprising to some. It is widely believed and commonly reported that insider incidents outnumber those caused by other sources,” the report states. http://www.techworld.com/security/ne...&NewsID=101757 __________________ Iain - Defender of the Haggis and all things Scottish. I don't help by PM - post in the Forums. PC Safety & Security::PC running a bit slow?::Donate::Photographers Corner