Quick Bytes: Breaches Up

Data breaches in the United States increased 47 percent in 2008 compared with 2007, mostly as a result of lost or stolen equipment and accidental exposure of online data, according to a new study from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.

There were 656 reports of breaches last year, compared with 446 for 2007. At least 36 million records were potentially breached.

Malware attacks, insider theft, and hacking accounted for about 30 percent of incidents. Insider theft, at about 16 percent, more than doubled between 2007 and 2008. Data losses from human error declined, but still comprised about 35 percent of breaches. Electronic breaches (82 percent) continue to outnumber paper breaches (18 percent).

The study, which examined 43 organizations across 17 industry sectors, found that the average per incident cost in 2008 was $6.65 million.

@ Find the study in "Beyond Print" here.