Tag: Data Security (Page 2)
Data security to be tackled via crowd sourcing, EU claims
The future of data protection and IT security could be handled collectively by users from around the world, as the European Union announces plans to look into using crowd sourcing techniques to develop defences over the coming years. In essence, the proposal made by Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, is the first step towards the creation of a central body to which anyone will be able to report cybercrimes, scams, …
Gawker suffers massive data loss and Amazon rebukes DDoS claims
The world of online security has been tumultuous over the last two weeks after the release of diplomatic cables by Wikileaks. Now major sites are coming under attack by hackers, with significant data loss suffered by gossip site Gawker and online retail site Amazon denying that recent downtime was caused by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. It is known that Amazon was a target of the Anonymous group …
Twitter tuition suggested to minimise risks to businesses
The expansion of microblogging site Twitter has meant that millions of people around the world use it, often at work. Like any online trend, malicious groups are attempting to exploit its popularity and security firm Symantec is warning that this could put businesses at risks as employees tweet from work and risk unintentional infection of IT systems from spammers and cybercriminals. The way to best solve the problem is not …
Data at risk as amateur employees invest in new IT systems
A study conducted by Informatica Corporation has concluded that many businesses are putting themselves at risk of data loss or security breaches, because they lack the true expertise in non-IT departments, where amateur users are executing significant decisions without involving the experts. The report states that since figures show a 62 per cent annual increase in the amount of data which is being generated around the world, many workers are …
Twenty percent of data loss originates from within, report claims
A study by KPMG has found that a fifth of data loss incidents which occurred this year were a result of internal activity, rather than third party interference, which shows a significant rise compared to statistics gathered in 2009. Three years ago this type of data loss was accountable for four per cent of the global total, with a total of 23 million people from around the world being impacted …
ICO issues fines months after new punitive powers were gained
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has for the first time taken advantage of new powers it was issued with earlier in the year, to level fines against private and public organisations which have been held responsible for data loss or theft. In an announcement made this week, the ICO said that a £100,000 fine is being put at the feet of Hertfordshire County Council, in response to a pair of …
Expert warns of data loss damage to SMBs
Small and medium size businesses (SMBs) are at the greatest risk of collapse, following a serious incident of data loss as the result of a disaster or security breach, according to tech expert Susan Campbell. Campbell is concerned that many SMBs fail to grasp the potential severity of data loss when on-site systems are taken down and she cites figures which show that an alarming 70 per cent of developing …
Data protection of growing significance to businesses, study finds
Research has discovered that many more businesses and organisations are now prioritising data protection and IT security when compared with the levels seen in 2008. CompTIA published a study looking at global information security trends and concluded that 50 per cent of groups now see data protection as a real priority. This is an increase of 15 per cent compared to 2008 and a further 12 per cent jump is …
Freedom of information requests could apply to government contractors
Private sector firms which handled data for public sector organisations could come under the remit of Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation, if a Cabinet Office Review carried out by Southampton University’s Nigel Shadbolt find in favour of this proposal. The revision to enforce data transparency if private businesses are working on the government’s dime was proposed as part of the Lib Dem manifesto before the election and the party is …
Parliamentary data leak addressed by ICO
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has looked into an incident during which the personal data of many MPs was left open to exploitation during ongoing IT work carried out in the summer of 2010. As a result of the ICO’s investigation, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has said that it will be clamping down to ensure that such an eventuality is not possible in the future. For almost a …
