As outlined in part 1 of this article, there are many different types of IT Security incidents that can take place in businesses.

We have already looked at viruses, systems failure & data corruption. Here we will look at further common breaches, as reported in an Information Security Survey produced by the UK Government. Computer theft and fraud are a threat for a business’s IT security. Physical theft of computers is the most common cause of a breach in this area, cases of fraud sometimes involves staff gaining access to confidential data of their former employers. Then they attempt to use it to gain an advantage with their new employer. Computer theft and fraud is a bigger problem for large businesses (over 250 employees) with 47% of those surveyed having reported an incident in 2012, while just 16% of small businesses (less than 50 employees) had.

Staff related incidents were also a common problem for businesses. This includes misuse of systems and the accidental leakage of data. These incidents were common in both large firms where 84% of respondents reported a staff related incident, while 57% of small firms were affected. Some examples of incidents in this area include staff misusing internet and email, unauthorised access to systems or data and misuse of confidential data.

Attacks by an unauthorised user – cyber-attacks, are a serious issue for businesses nowadays with 78% of large businesses and 60% of small businesses reporting an attack in 2012. Attacks on small businesses have risen significantly from 2011, when just 41% of small firms reported an attack. The results showed that 1 in 5 large businesses were breached, while 1 in 6 small businesses were breached. One such example is a manufacturing company, which was attacked with an ‘advanced persistent threat’ (APT) attack. The hackers took advantage of weak IT Security at a third party allowing the attackers access to the company’s internal systems. It took several weeks to investigate and fix the problem which cost the business tens of thousands of pounds. Denial of service (DoS) attacks were also quite common in 2012 with banks and educational bodies being regular targets. Phishing attacks were also an issue for businesses in 2012, with 55% of large businesses and one quarter of small businesses reporting an attack.

At Topsec Technology we offer a wide range of IT security solutions including business antivirus software, secure internet and email filtering, which will greatly reduce the risk of your company being breached. To find out more information about our services contact us.

Sources: UK Government IT Security Report