Invaluable resource for business...

Computer Security Facts and Statistics from Harris Corporation

Biometrics

There are over 400 known biometrics products and over 100 companies marketing commercial biometrics products. (ICSA)

Budget

In 1996, corporation computer security budgets rose an average of 50% due to rising Internet risks and other data concerns. In 1999 34% of security professionals felt their security budgets were sufficient. 18% of security professionals were satisfied with their budget (Information Security)

Cellular Phones

Cellular phone fraud costs over $650 million a year.

Concerns

The biggest concerns for infosecurity professionals are hackers/crackers (21%), preventing malicious code (17%), e-mail security (15%), secure remote access (14%), secure e-commerce (8%), VPN deployment (7%), and single sign-on (6%). (ICSA 1999 Survey)

Confidence

70% of all executives have a lack of confidence in their computer security.

Computer Failure

42% of computer failure is due to hardware; 17% due to software.

Computer Theft

There was $8 billion in computer theft in 1996. Computer theft is one of the the fastest growing crimes in America and the UK. In 1996 the theft of portable computers accounted for $650 million in losses in the US. In the US, 30% of all reported thefts are computer related.

Credit Cards

70% express concern about entering credit card details on a Web site. 62% said they consider buying online as safe as ordering from a catalog. (Internet Magazine)

Crime

Companies reporting computer crime for 1997 have reported the following: virus infection - 65%; laptop theft - 57%; abusive use of the Internet - 31%; unauthorized computer use - 16%; telecommunications fraud - 16%; information theft - 14%; financial fraud - 12%; sabotage - 11%; network break-in - 8%. (Computer Security Institute)

Detection

Over 58% of companies have detected outsiders trying to gain computer access. 30% of companies don't know if there have been attempts from outsiders to gain computer access.

Digital IDs and Certificates

Only 24% of companies use digital IDs and certificates.

DoD Computer Systems

There were 250,000 attempts to break in DoD computer systems in 1995. 65% were successful. There were 160,000 successful break-ins to DoD computer systems in 1995. (GAO)

E-Mail

Over 200 million e-mail messages travel through cyberspace every day.

Electronic Commerce

35% of companies are using electronic commerce. 30% are unsatisfied with electronic commerce security. Less than 20% are satisfied and 50% are undecided.

Encryption

58% of companies use encryption. 43% plan to buy encryption products in 1998.

Espionage

FBI statistics reveal that more than 100 nations engage in corporate espionage against U.S. companies. More than 1,100 documented incidents of economic espionage and 550 suspected incidents were reported in 1997.

Financial Cost

In 1998, 163 organizations reported losing $123.7 million to computer security breaches, or about $759,000 per organization. (1999 CSI/FBI Report)

Firewalls

Almost 40% of Internet sites do not have firewalls in place. 30% of computer security breaches occurred after a firewall was installed. 33% plan to buy more firewalls in 1998. The firewall market sold $255 million in 1997.

Game Playing

23% of PC game playing is done at the office rather than at home.

Growth

Security is the 7th fastest growing service industry with an annual growth rate of 15% for the 1990s. The computer security industry grew at an average annual rate of 17.3% between 1992 and 1996. It is expected to grow at an average rate of 22.5% over the next 4 years.

Hacked

Over 90% of Fortune 500 networks have been hacked. In Canada, hacking attempts via the Internet have doubled from 4% in 1997 to 8% in 1998. 70% of 300 Canadian businesses have reported computer security breaches, and 32 companies have reported losses exceeding $1 million. (Ernst & Young Canadian Information Security Survey)

Illegal Software

80% of companies are using illegal software.

Information

Client information is the number one theft from company computers.

Insiders

60% of computer abuse is caused by insiders. 85% of computer break-ins occur internally. Insiders still remain as the most serious threat to intellectual property.

Internet break-in

25% of all organizations reported attempted break-ins via the Internet. An FBI survey of 400 companies showed that only 40% reported Internet break-ins. One out of 5 Internet sites has suffered a security breach. (CSI)

Internet Users

The Internet currently has 50 million users and by the year 2000 will have 100 million users.

Intrusion Activity

Intrusion activity by hackers have been categorized as follows: probing of system - 14.6%; compromised e-mail or documents - 12.6%; introduced virus - 10.6%; compromised trade secrets - 9.8%; downloaded data - 8.1%; manipulated data integrity - 6.8%; installed a sniffer - 6.6%; caused denial of service - 6.3%; Trojan logons - 5.8%; stole password files - 5.6%; spoofed IP - 4.8%; harassed personnel - 4.5%; publicized intrusion - 1%; stole or diverted money - 1%.

Intrusion Detection Systems

The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) market is estimated at $100 million for 1998. Over 23% of surveyed Information Technology managers say their organizations use intrusion detection systems. (Cahners)

Laptop/Notebook Computers

Over 300,000 laptops were stolen in 1997, resulting in over $1 billion in losses. According to FBI reports, 1 out of every 14 notebook computers sold in the United States in 1997 was reported missing.

Law Enforcement

Only 17% of companies whose computers were hacked report them to law enforcement. Fear of negative publicity was a key reason organizations did not report them.

Losses

A national survey estimates that intellectual losses from computer hacking exceeded $300 billion in 1997. The FBI computer crime squad reported that 75% of the 563 companies that reported a computer crime suffered financial losses resulting from various computer security breaches (see crime). 18% of companies whose system was broken in or infected with a virus suffered losses of $1 million or more. In 1997 241 U.S. organizations reported $33.5 million from theft of proprietary information $17.2 million in telecommunications fraud, $11.2 million in loss from financial fraud, $7 million from computer viruses, $5.2 million from theft of laptop computers, and $2.1 million from sabotage of data or networks. (CSI)

Monitoring

60% of surveyed CIOs say their company monitors e-mail and the Internet. (CIO Magazine)

Network Security

The United States spent $6 billion on network security in 1996.

Security Flaws

70% of web sites have security flaws.

Security Management Products

In 1998 it is estimated that $160 million will be spent on security management products. In 1999 it will be $315 million. By 2002 it will be $679 million. (The Yankee Group)

Security Policy

Only 54% of Information Technology companies have a security policy. 62% of companies have no security policy for reporting information loss.

Smart Cards

The U.S, market for product and services associated with smart cards is expected to be over $1.3 billion through 2003.

Source of Attack

More than 80% of organizations perceive disgruntled employees as a likely source of attack of their computer systems, and more than 70% saw hackers as a likely source. Corporate competitors and foreign governments are not perceived as a likely source of attack.

Target

Next to automobiles, PCs are the greatest targets for thieves. For foreign spies, the most frequent targets were high-tech companies (R&D), followed by manufacturing and service industries.

Threat

The penetration of information and communications systems is the fastest growing emerging threat.

Viruses

There are over 100,000 known computer viruses. As many as 60% of major US corporations has experienced a virus attack or computer break-in.

Warning Banner

33% of companies have no mandatory warning banner putting users on notice to be monitored online. 63% of companies with banners do not enforce it.

Web Purchase

The Internet had 20 million consumers the first 6 months of 1998. The number one purchase category was books, followed by computer hardware, and computer software. (Nielsen)

Sources: American Society for Industrial Security, ASIS, Cahners, CIO Magazine, Computer Security Institute (CSI), Coopers & Lybrand, Department of Justice, Ernst and Young, FBI, GAO, Gartner Group, Hurwitz Group, Information Security Magazine, Information Systems Security Survey, Infosecurity News, International Computer Security Association (ICSA), Internet Magazine, Nielsen Media Research, Public Administration Review, RAND, REACT Network Services, Safeware Insurance, Trends in Intellectual Property Loss Survey, Yankee Group

Located in: Ontario, Canada and serving the Greater Hamilton Area and surrounding district.

Bookmark this page for future FREE services and updates.