Internal security breaches a menace to UK businesses

IS Decisions has conducted a study called ‘The Insider Threat Security Manifesto: Beating the threat within’ in which it surveyed 250 decision makers in  the IT industry.

The research discovered that over 300,000 breaches in internal security have occurred among the UK’s businesses in the past year – about 1,190 breaches for every working day.

Highlighting the extent of the issue across the pond, it was found that 600,000 security breaches occurred in the US within the last 12 months.

An even bigger concern for businesses, however, is that evaluating internal breaches and responding to them is not, seemingly, a high priority for IT managers and CISOs. The report revealed that just 25% of mangers in the IT industry feel that internal threats are among their main three priorities when it comes to security. The figure is even less in the US, where it stands at just over 17%. Additionally, just 12% of those who responded felt further briefed of the issue following the revelations made by ex-CIA contractor Edward Snowden last year.

IS Decisons’ CEO, Francois Amigorena, said:

“It is human nature to see external sources as your greatest threat, and that, coupled with the fact that insider threat is a complex issue to manage, has led to IT professionals seemingly turning a blind eye to the issue.”

Tim Ryan, MD of response and risk mitigation firm Kroll, told SCMagazineUK.com that the threats are a very real concern and that most of them may go undetected. The one bright spot in the issue exists for those seeking cyber security jobs, who may be needed now more than ever.