Data breach cases rising, report says

2010-02-02

Data breach incidents are on the rise, according to research, with more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of information compromises occurring in the retail sector.

The UK Security Breach Investigations Report 2010, drawn up by computer security and forensics consulting firm 7Safe and the University of Bedfordshire, also showed that in 85 per cent of cases, payment card details were stolen.

Additionally, four-fifths (80 per cent) of security breaches were from outside the organisation, the report indicated.

Co-author of the report and 7Safe chief executive officer Alan Phillips commented: "Compared with many existing studies that are based purely on survey data, this report reveals what is really happening in the UK.

"The results are intriguing."

A recent report from the Ponemon Institute, sponsored by PGP Corporation, found that the cost of each lost customer record in the UK cost on average £64 last year, a seven per cent rise on 2008.

Read more security news.