Kroll Fraud Solutions Blog – A Dialogue on Data Security

The Identity Theft Resource Center released a new study recently that pinpoints hackers as the No. 1 culprit behind publicly reported data breaches. While cyber intruders are a legitimate worry and must be stymied through sound security measures, organizations can’t let “cyber security tunnel vision” cause them to lose sight of the myriad other vulnerabilities that lead to a breach – most of which are actually caused by internal sources (i.e. your employees), whether intentionally or unintentionally.

There’s a tenet in journalism that, in order to separate John A. Smith, who committed a heinous crime, from the law-abiding John A. Smith, who happens to live in the same town, the author includes the person’s address: “John A. Smith of 101 Anywhere Rd. was arrested today on charges of …” This is a simple, liability-limiting act that reporters have relied upon for decades. But how about this line: “John A. Smith, whose current location is the coffee shop on the corner of 5^th and Main, today announced …”