...and, unless you take control they will also eat your budget and make you irrelevant.
Their recipe... Take accurate "S&P 500" statistics, add a pinch of "cyber" for a taste of scary, let it cook over "1,000 IT decision makers" with vested interests, serve as "hot news" written by... oh, no one in particular.
Cybercriminals understand there is greater value in selling a corporations’ proprietary information and trade secrets which have little to no protection making intellectual capital their new currency of choice, according to McAfee and SAIC.
The cyber underground economy is making its money on the theft of corporate intellectual capital which includes trade secrets, marketing plans, research and development findings and even source code.
McAfee and SAIC surveyed more than 1,000 senior IT decision makers in the U.S., U.K., Japan, China, India, Brazil and the Middle East. Their study reveals the changes in attitudes and perceptions of intellectual property protection in the last two years. (more)
The cyber underground economy is making its money on the theft of corporate intellectual capital which includes trade secrets, marketing plans, research and development findings and even source code.
McAfee and SAIC surveyed more than 1,000 senior IT decision makers in the U.S., U.K., Japan, China, India, Brazil and the Middle East. Their study reveals the changes in attitudes and perceptions of intellectual property protection in the last two years. (more)
Fight back...
Tell the boss:
1. All of the information IT claims it needs money to protect (and more) is available elsewhere long before it is ever reduced to computer data.
2. "Cybercriminals" is a self-serving label invented to scare. News and entertainment media glorify this one aspect of criminal behavior. Truth: Criminals don't care how they make a buck. Foreign governments don't have preferential spy techniques. Both want your intellectual property. The fresher, the better. Reality: Cybercriminals get the table scraps.
3. You are the front line of defense. Your job is more important today than every before in history. The proof is in the S&P 500 chart.
4. "I can take the lead in designing the overall company counterespionage strategy."
Priority One: Realign the security budget.
• Is 80% of the budget being used to protect tangible assets? (20%) If so, change it.
• Is the budget strong enough to protect the intangible assets? (80%) If not, change it.
• Is 80% of the budget being used to protect tangible assets? (20%) If so, change it.
• Is the budget strong enough to protect the intangible assets? (80%) If not, change it.
Need help implementing a counterespionage strategy? Call us.
P.S. Be kind to the IT guys. They have a hard time keeping up with the regular demands of their job, let alone the security issues. They will be happy you took control and can advise you on what they really need to keep their data safe.
