Another First for the Internet! Information-Cybertheft Surpasses Physical Theft

Kroll just released a study called the Kroll Annual Global Fraud Report.  In the report, Kroll states that the losses for businesses due to fraud increased by 20% in the last 12 months.  The fastest growing area for fraud?  Information theft.

Cybercriminals are stealing information at a rate that has outpaced physical theft for the first time!

Physical theft, as defined by the report, includes cash, assets, and inventory.

Tim Wilson from Dark Reading noted that 88 percent of the companies surveyed said they were a victim of some type of fraud.

Physical theft and fraud is not decreasing, it is just that cybertheft is increasing at a faster rate.

The study noted that if your company does business in China or Colombia, those countries were the top 2 for fraud.

One of the challenges companies face that is a major contributor to fraud?  Complex technology infrastructure!  Nearly 1/3 said their company infrastructure made it difficult to protect its information.

Some steps you can take to protect yourself:
1.  Have technology in place to help you track data leaving your network; for example:  analysis of traffic patterns and information packets leaving your network; analysis of email attachment names and sizes; or a thumb drive setting and policy that tracks data downloads or limits who has access.

2.  Ability to identify the source of the breach and to insure you have closed any open holes.

Source:

www.Kroll.com


"Information Theft at Global Companies Surpasses all other Forms of Fraud for the First Time", Kroll's Annual Global Fraud Report, Press Release, October 18, 2010.

"Incidence Of Cybertheft Surpasses Incidence Of Physical Theft For The First Time, Study Says", Tim Wilson, Dark Reading, October 19, 2010.