Data breaches often an insider job

It is time to worry about what those inside your company are doing rather than focusing on external threats, according to the chief executive (CEO) of Cyber Ark.

Udi Mokady believes the power of those who have access to data within your company is what now needs to be addressed as so many breaches are an inside job.

"Very strong statistics say 70 per cent of breaches come from insiders [with] 86 per cent of insiders holding technical positions," he told IT PRO during an interview at InfoSecurity 2010.

"The insiders are not malicious people, they are just overly powerful. Somebody has to administer the system... they are just un-monitored."

Calling it "IT's dirty little secret," Mokady claimed controls over who has access to the data and ensuring this is recorded is the key to keep data safe.

"I think there are fads in the industry. Organisations were detached , then connected, and all over the 1990s it was about perimeter security and the threats coming from outside," he said.

"But it think there is really strong awareness now, so this needs to be [built] on."

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.