Data Security: the Threat from Within

Nowadays, spyware, mobile malicious code, and hacking tools are becoming far more prevalent and accessible. Emerging threats in this new computing environment create increasing and widespread challenges that these organisations need to address. Most of the organisations are always concerned with the ability of both the insiders as well as the outsiders to hack into their computing environments and thereby gain access to business information. Interestingly, the threat of hacking is mostly a threat from the insider. There are noteworthy emerging threats to security that are being introduced from internal, known sources, i.e. the employees themselves. It’s critical that organisations acknowledge these inside-out risks.

There are several organisations which view security threats from an outside-in perspective. That is, they are very much bothered to protect their corporate computing environment from risks and threats from the outside world. In order to curb these threats, these organisations deploy firewalls, demilitarized zones, and intrusion detection systems, and put into practice a myriad of other security devices in order to curb intruders from entering their corporate networks.

With the advent of Internet, it has become easier for both the insiders as well as the outsiders to access various powerful business information and new business applications. Therefore, most of the organisations have implemented strategies to control illegal Internet access and have developed measures to protect against threats posed from external sources such as viruses, worms, hackers, and malicious mobile code. Apart from this, the present business computing environment calls for a novel management solution which concentrates on employee use of corporate computing resources. There are several service providers who provide a comprehensive strategy and platform so as to manage these emerging threats arising from employee use of computing resources.

There are several reasons for these unscrupulous persons to hack the corporate networking communication stored in the computers. For instance, in a lower level, the data stolen by way of computer hacking may include stolen credit card numbers and other social security numbers thereby ending up in illegal trading networks wherein these hackers would openly purchase and put up for sale excessive data for minting huge profits. With a credit card hacking transaction, the stolen credit card numbers and other personal details are put up for sale.

Apart from credit card hacking, there are several shifts in the professional computer hacking community, who do it for the sake of thrill or for attaining popularity, though it may sound notorious. However, due to the strict monitoring of the officials, hackers are facing severe punishment even for the smallest hack. Moreover, these days, hacking has become a sort of creative art for several people. These hackers, who have formed groups, hold conferences among themselves and share their acumen and specialised skill in hacking.

Most of these hackers do not realise that they are committing a crime, for they believe that they are just exploring the ways by which the programmable systems work. They feel that as long as there is no theft, vandalism, or as long as the breach of confidentiality is not broken, nothing is wrong. They strongly feel that the sharing of information is good for the society and that it is very powerful to do. They feel that there is no harm in sharing resources with one another to gain access into prohibited networks as long as no damage is done.

The notable case is the hacking done to TK Maxx, the retailer company of TJX, who says that the hackers stole the details of the credit cards and debit cards of more than 45 million customers through an attack on the computer systems of the parent company (TJX). The officials of the company confirmed that details regarding 45.6 million cards used in the UK and US have been stolen. It is notable that this is the world’s largest theft of credit card details. Similarly, in another case, Oracle sued SAP, after discovering that the latter was engaged in gaining illegal access to Oracle’s computerised customer support systems. It charged that the SAP had stolen thousands of proprietary and copyrighted software products and other confidential materials which were developed by Oracle to serve its own customers.