In a survey conducted by the Computer Security Institute in 2011, companies worldwide were asked about increasing number of cyber security threats, and the results were overwhelming. 45.6% of respondents reported being the subject of at least one targeted cyber-attack Respondents to the survey covered a variety of industries including information technology, financial services, government, education, manufacturing and healthcare. Of those surveyed, 41% indicated that they have faced some form of personal information breach.
Promoting Security Awareness
With the increase in usage of personal devices in the workplace, many corporate information systems are facing an escalating number of threats to their security. The use of these devices often leads to unintentional security breaches by staff. This occurs at a rate of 61% in small businesses, and a staggering 82% in larger companies.
To combat this challenge, there are a number of steps your organization can take now to start protecting itself:
- Develop and implement a data security and privacy plan
- Take inventory of potential targets that contain compromising data
- Protect online data
- Socialize your privacy policy
- Create layers of security
- Create a contingency plan if important data is lost
It is important to have a network security plan in place and strong passwords in place to avoid unwanted access to your systems. The infographic below by the University of Alabama Birmingham details the state of the problem and the ways you can combat security threats on your home turf.
