Who's the biggest threat to business security? Staff or cyber criminals

BUSINESSES may regard staff as the greatest threat to their security but are they really?

Disgruntled employees pose a security risk to businesses, having access to passwords, information, systems and networks / File

BUSINESSES have long regarded staff as the greatest threat to their security but in the past ten years cyber crime has evolved dramatically, and so has the average business.

Traditionally, companies have considered disgruntled employees to pose the greatest risk, having access to passwords, information, systems and networks — and if they work in the IT department, administrator privileges.

What's more, they usually know what they are looking for and what it might be worth to a competitor.

But recent research shows that organised cyber gangs intent on cracking into corporate networks in the same way they might target a bank vault are a far greater threat to business networks than wayward employees.

According to World Economic Forum figures, online theft in the United States alone was US$1 trillion last year.

Software solution company AVG says that while once hackers and virus writers were often amateur coders, cyber crime has matured into a highly sophisticated business.

AVG Australia and New Zealand marketing manager Llloyd Borrett says traditional anti-malware solutions are no longer enough to protect organisation networks.

“A decade ago, viruses and other forms of malware were authored primarily by attention-seeking coders seeking to earn notoriety in underground hacker communities, Mr Borrett said.

“The security landscape has, however, changed markedly during recent years. Organised criminal gangs realised that there was money to be made from malware and recruited skilled programmers to create malicious programs.

"These programs were not designed to cause disruption, but to enable the theft of money or data or both. This has led to the creation of an underground economy in which criminals can buy and sell data and the programs that are used to steal that data.”

The 2009 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigation Verizone report backs Mr Borrett's argument.

The global IT and security solutions business found that 74 per cent of data breaches resulted from external sources, while 32 per cent were linked to business partners. Only 20 per cent were caused by insiders.

However, experts say that while external threats have become more organised, insiders should still be considered a security danger.

Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) spokesperson Dawn Cappelli says organisations should tweak their definition of an "insider" to keep pace with best security practices.

Ms Cappelli says companies have become more fragmented and rely increasingly on consultants and outside expertise.

Acquisitions have made the previously stable borders of some large companies become increasingly volatile as they merge with competitors and take on their staff, she says.

“Our definition of a malicious insider is a current or former employee, contractor or business partner,” she explained.

“We've added the business partner aspect to the definition because of recent trends we're seeing.”

She says insider fraud was usually committed by employees experiencing financial problems.

The best overall approach is to have an adaptive security strategy in place to keep pace with the fast-evolving nature of IT security, she says.

The Australian Government web site Stay Smart Online also contains some useful advice for protecting your business from data theft .