What are the risks to an organisation from cyber security incidents?
Business risks from cyber security incidents can take many forms, including:
- leaking or theft of sensitive corporate information (including personal data)
- hacking of non-public-facing systems, which disrupt how an organisation operates
- hacktivism (in which the perpetrator tries to change or create a public perception of a brand or organisation)
- nuisance hacking (eg defacing an organisation’s website)
- fraudulent websites or links and/or malicious software within email attachments (often called spear phishing)
Cyber risk threats include:
- cyber criminals looking to make money from fraud or theft
- industrial competitors or foreign intelligence services interested in gaining an economic advantage
- amateur hackers
- hacktivists (like Anonymous or WikiLeaks)
- employees (accidental or deliberate misuse)
Common incident sources include:
- web: an attack from a third-party website or web-based application that tries to disrupt, control or bring down an organisation’s web presence
- email: an attack via an email message or attachment that, when opened, infects the computer or network, allowing external access to content
- attrition: an attack that uses brute force methods to compromise, degrade or destroy systems, networks or services
- external/removable media devices: an attack where a virus on removable media, such as USB stick, is introduced to a safe location, resulting in an information security breach
- improper usage: violation of an organisation’s acceptable usage policies by an authorised user
- loss or theft of equipment: loss or theft of a computing device or media used by an organisation uses, such as laptop or mobile phone
