May 2014: Malicious Insiders

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report is highly valued for the large amount of data on which the report is based. One of the most telling statistics is that there was a sharp increase in intellectual property spies. These malicious insiders are willing to divulge corporate secrets to those willing to pay. The amount of rogue individuals with the intent on stealing money and data themselves were also slightly higher. These malicious employees were mostly end users or those responsible for point of sale systems.

It was reported that the main tool used for Data Breaches was stolen credentials. These credentials can be obtained through viruses or other means such as social engineering. Once malicious individuals have these credentials, they can install malware that steals data, viruses that destroy data and/or equipment, or used a compromised system as the basis for further attacks.

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