Data theft on the rise during downturn

As companies lay off more workers, two new surveys warn it has never been more tempting - or indeed easier - for employees to steal confidential company data.

Companies must remain vigilant to security risks during the economic downturn as increasing financial pressures could turn employees into data thieves. This is the stark conclusion of two new surveys published by MacAfee and the Ponemon Institute.

42 per cent of IT decision makers rated laid-off workers as the biggest security threat

The MacAfee-sponsored report found that as unemployment figures continue to rise, more than 42 per cent of the IT decision makers questioned felt that laid-off employees represented the biggest IT security threat of the economic slump, higher than the risk of external data thieves, which they rated at 39 per cent.

Increased crime rates have always been an unfortunate side-effect of recession and in this new digital age companies are being reminded that it has never been easier for disgruntled employees to escape with company databases that would make them more attractive to new prospective employers.

Tim Shimeall, an analyst at Carnegie Mellon University's CERT Network Situational Awareness Group or CERT/NetSA commented: "Managing insider threats is difficult. With more sophisticated technologies at their fingertips and increased access to data, it has become easier for current employees and other insiders, such as contractors, consultants, suppliers and vendors, to steal information."

More than half of employees admit to stealing confidential data

This analysis is supported by the results of a Ponemon Institute survey published in February 2009. In this poll, which questioned employees who had lost their jobs in 2008, more than half (59 per cent) admitted to stealing confidential company information, such as customer contact lists. The results also showed that if the respondents' companies had implemented better data loss prevention policies and technologies, many of those instances of data theft could have been prevented.

Further survey finding included:

• 53 per cent of respondents downloaded information onto a CD or DVD, 42 percent onto a USB drive and 38 percent sent attachments to a personal e-mail
• 79 per cent of respondents took data without an employer's permission
• 82 percent of respondents said their employers did not perform an audit or review of paper or electronic documents before the respondent left his/her job
• 24 of respondents had access to their employer's computer system or network after their departure from the company