Security Slideshow: 14 Insider Security Threats

A new study by Computer Economics, "Insider Misuse of Computing Resources," looked at security risks posted by employees who inadvertently expose their organizations to possible information loss or compromise. The survey included 100 IT security professionals and executives. External threats to data security are clear, says Computer Economics president Frank Scavo, but the nature of internal threats may be less so. For example, over one-third of organizations surveyed lack policies against loading sensitive data onto portable storage devices like USB flash drives. This practice recently compromised a secure data network at the Pentagon.