| Companies have always focused on protecting their | | | | 31 percent had a worm or virus incident, 28 percent |
| data from outside threats. They have focused on | | | | experienced insider fraud, and 18 percent of the |
| everything from intrusion protection systems to | | | | companies experienced data leakage. The FBI has |
| vulnerability management. However, it is now time for | | | | estimated that the total amount of data loss in 2006 |
| companies to focus on data loss from another angle : | | | | has cost companies a total of $62.7 billion. Experts |
| data loss from the inside. | | | | have furthered estimated that for a major company |
| The Internet has created a hole in the security | | | | or corporation, one leakage will cost approximately |
| system and has provided a way for businesses and | | | | $4.8 million. |
| individuals to communicate with each other freely. | | | | There have been a number of high-profile incidents |
| Electronic communications can now go outside the | | | | of data loss. Some examples are, when AOL posted |
| company almost completely unmonitored through | | | | information about its members in the search engine, a |
| emails, instant messaging, file transfers, or links on | | | | DuPont employee leaked $400 million worth of |
| websites. This free flow of information makes it very | | | | intellectual property, and a Ceridian employee |
| easy for important data to fall into the wrong hands. | | | | accidentally posted the bank account information of |
| The loss of data can happen either accidentally or | | | | 150 clients. |
| deliberately and can include a number of different | | | | Data loss has the potential to compromise intellectual |
| leaks of information ranging from the exposure of a | | | | property and cause a company to violate their |
| customer's confidential information to thousands of a | | | | regulations. In fact, it is likely to be a threat to |
| company's files being sent to their competitor. | | | | everything that a company has built. Companies |
| Regardless of the importance of it, data loss occurs | | | | cannot afford to ignore the serious threat that is |
| any time employees, consultants, or other insiders | | | | posed by a loss of confidential information. In order |
| release information that is supposed to be kept | | | | for a company to protect the investment that it has |
| confidential. | | | | placed in its brand, products, partnerships, and |
| According to a 2006 survey, approximately 49 | | | | employees, they must address the issue of data loss |
| percent of companies had experienced an internal | | | | and take proper precautions. |
| security breach in the prior year. Of those companies, | | | | |