http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222500222 By Tim Wilson DarkReading Jan 26, 2010 The cost of data breaches continues to rise, and malicious attacks accounted for more of them in 2009 than in previous years, according to a study published today. In conjunction with study sponsor PGP Corp., Ponemon Institute today released the results of its fifth annual "U.S. Cost of a Data Breach" report. The news isn't good, according to the research firm's founder, Larry Ponemon. "Each year, I expect the breach cost figures to decrease, but the numbers are still rising," Ponemon says. The 2009 study showed a slight increase in the organizational cost of a data breach -- from $6.65 million to $6.75 million per incident -- and a slight increase in the average cost per compromised record, from $202 to $204. Legal costs showed the greatest increase in 2009, according to the study. Fees associated with legal handling of breach-related litigation increased by more than 50 percent between 2008 and 2009. "This reflects the increasing chances that a breach will result in litigation, which we've seen in cases like Heartland [Payment Systems]," Ponemon says. Heartland recently agreed to a $60 million settlement related to its 2008 breach, and some of the plaintiffs are now asking for more. Malicious attacks also showed a sharp rise in the 2009 report, Ponemon observes. In the 2008 report, external attacks accounted for 12 percent of all breaches, but this year that figure is approximately 24 percent. "What this says is that the seriously deranged criminal is a lot smarter than they used to be," Ponemon says. "The attacks are a lot more sophisticated now, and the criminals are working with technologies that are a lot stealthier." [...] ________________________________________ Did a friend send you this? From now on, be the first to find out! Subscribe to InfoSec News http://www.infosecnews.orgReceived on Thu Jan 28 2010 - 02:02:15 PST
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