Hacking is top cause of data breaches

The Identity Theft Resource Center's 2009 Breach Report found that hacking has topped human error as the top cause of reported data breaches for the first time since tracking began in 2007.

It only has a slight edge, according to an article from PCWorld.com, but it's enough to raise the alarm bells for every IT shop. The new report found that 19.5 percent of reported breaches were due to hacking. Insider theft was the second most common cause at nearly 17 percent.

With this kind of information, a new strategy plan should be developed for every IT shop. Sure, it's important to properly train your IT staff, but it's critical to raise the firewalls and other security systems against outside hackers.

The report said that more than 40 percent of reported breaches came from the business sector. And not surprisingly, the financial and medical industries have the lowest percentage of breaches. That doesn't mean these sectors are out of the woods, but they must be doing something right.

For more on cause of data breaches:
- see this PC World article

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