Cybercrime is taking its toll on Australian businesses, costing them more than $600 million according to the latest report from the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC).The Australian Business Assessment of Computer User Security (ABACUS) report, based on a national survey of 4,000 small, medium and large businesses, says computer security breaches affected 14 per cent of Australian businesses in 2007, despite 85 per cent of businesses using security tools.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/306743/Also see:Australian businesses exposed to computer security breaches [news release]
Computer security breaches affected 14 percent of Australian businesses in 2007 at a cost of more than $600 million, according to the latest report from the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC).The Australian Business Assessment of Computer User Security (ABACUS) report was released today to coincide with the Australian Federal Police’s High Tech Crime Conference in Sydney.AIC Principal Criminologist Dr Russell Smith said the report was based on a national survey of 4,000 small, medium and large businesses conducted by the Institute to determine their experience of computer security incidents.”The cost of computer security incidents for Australian businesses in 2007 was estimated at between $595 million and $649 million, while businesses spent as much as $1.95 billion on computer security measures,” Dr Smith said.Eight-five percent of businesses reported using one or more computer security tools, usually a type of anti-virus software.The survey showed 13 percent of small businesses, 20 percent of medium businesses and 30 percent of large businesses were affected by a computer security breach.The average loss due to computer security incidents during 2006-07 was $360 for small businesses, $2,757 for medium businesses and $17,578 for large businesses.The most commonly reported type of computer security incident involved viruses and malicious code attacks (64%). Of those businesses affected, 40 percent reported corruption of hardware or software. The majority of businesses dealt with these incidents internally, with only eight percent reporting them to police.Businesses reported that their computer security breaches were generally opportunistic rather than targeted. The report also highlighted the need to minimise the incidence of personal data being stolen for use in other offences.
http://aic.gov.au/media/2009/20090609.htmlThe Australian Business Assessment of Computer User Security: a national survey [report]
Abstract: The Australian Business Assessment of Computer User Security (ABACUS) survey is a nationwide assessment of the prevalence and nature of computer security incidents experienced by Australian businesses. This report presents the findings of the survey which may be used by businesses in Australia to assess the effectiveness of their information technology security measures.
http://aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/102/Not only does cyber crime pay, but it pays very well
Security breaches have caused small to medium businesses to fork out more than $600 million in 2007, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Criminology.The latest report, titled The Australian Business Assessment of Computer User Security (ABACUS), was based on a national survey of about 4000 businesses, which showed 13 per cent of small businesses, 20 per cent of medium businesses and 30 per cent of large organisations had been affected by a security breach.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/06/15/1244917982026.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/06/15/1244917982026.html
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