Page 29 - Check Point 2013 Security Report

2013 CHECK POINT ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT
04 DATA LOSS INCIDENTS
IN YOUR NETWORK
Corporate Data: Organizations’ Most
Valuable Asset
Corporate data is more accessible and transferable today
than ever before, and the vast majority of the corporate data
is sensitive at various levels. Some are confidential simply
because it includes internal corporate data and was not
meant to be publicly available. Other types of data might be
sensitive because of corporate requirements, national laws,
and international regulations. But in many cases the value
of data is dependent upon its confidentiality - consider
intellectual property and competitive information.
To make the matter even more complex, along with the
severity of data leakage, we now have tools and practices
which make an irreversible mistake that much easier
to happen: cloud servers, Google docs, and simple
unintentional abuse of company procedures - such as an
employee taking work home. In fact, most cases of data
leakage occur because of unintentional leaks.
Data Leakage Can Happen to Any of Us
Data leakage can occur not only at the hands of a
cybercriminal, but also unintentionally at those of
employees. A classified document maybe mistakenly
sent to the wrong person, a sensitive document might
be shared on a public site or a work file may be sent
to an unauthorized home email account. Any of these
scenarios may inadvertently happen to any of us, with
devastating results. Loss of sensitive data can lead to
brand damage, compliance violations, lost revenue or
even hefty fines.
Our Research
When an organization needs to define which data should
not be sent outside the organization, many variables
need to be taken into account. What type of data is it?
Who owns it? Who is sending it? Who is the intended
receiver? When is it being sent? What is the cost if
of the Organizations in our
Research had at least One
Potential Data Loss Incident
54 %