The Computer Security Institute (CSI) recently released the results of its fifth annual Computer Crime and Security Survey. Conducted with the help of the San Francisco Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Computer Intrusion Squad, the survey confirms that the number, cost, and severity of computer crimes have increased. The results were based on responses from 643 computer security personnel in U.S. government agencies, corporations, financial institutions, medical institutions, and universities.
Ninety percent of respondents (primarily large corporations and government agencies) detected at least one computer security breach in 1999. Seventy percent reported serious security breaches such as theft of proprietary information, financial fraud, system penetration from outsiders, denial-of-service attacks, and sabotage of data or networks.
Seventy-four percent acknowledged financial losses due to security breaches, although only 42 percent were willing and/or able to quantify their losses. The losses from these 273 respondents totaled more than $265 million, with the average annual loss over the last three years totaling over $120 million.
For more information on the CSI/FBI report, visit www.gocsi.com. Or you can contact The Computer Security Institute at 600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, California, 94107, 415/905-2626.
