Forwarded From: darek milewski <darekm@cmeasures.com>
http://www.news.com/News/Item/Textonly/0,25,26660,00.html?st.ne.ni.pfv
Canadian firms face more hacks
By Reuters
Special to CNET News.com
September 22, 1998, 9:25 a.m. PT
URL: http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,26660,00.html
TORONTO--More Canadian businesses are becoming the target of
Internet-related computer crimes, according to a report by a professional
services firm.
The Ernst & Young/CIO Canada Global Information Security Survey reported
hacking attempts via the Internet have doubled from 4 percent in 1997 to 8
percent in 1998.
The jump is due in part to a major increase in the number of Canadian
companies now connected to the Internet. Ninety-five percent of Canadian
businesses use the Internet, up from 68 percent last year.
"The Internet is the most common connection from one business to another,
but it's also the most widely used path for someone to gain access to a
company's private information," said Chris Anderson, national director of
information security services at Ernst & Young.
More than 300 Canadian businesses participated in the annual survey, which
assesses current information technology security systems around the world.
Seventy percent of the Canadian companies that reported computer security
breaches said they suffered financial losses because of the crime, while
32 of those surveyed reported losses exceeding $1 million.
Anderson said companies often lose more than just money.
"It can harm your image and in this society, image is everything," he
said. "Companies that prove to their customers and suppliers that they
have adequate information security will succeed at the expense of those
who fail to protect their customers' information."
While most information technology executives in Canada recognize there are
increased risks to company privacy, Anderson said management is often slow
to take action.
"It's an uphill battle to get to the point where senior management will
allocate time and money to deal with the problem," he said.
He believes Canada is only a few years away from imposing standards on
private firms regarding protection of customer information.
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Received on Tue Sep 22 18:41:33 1998