1. Viruses, spyware and malware
By far the greatest cyber security risks come from viruses, spyware and malware, according to the survey, with 68% of firms having experienced this type of attack in the last month.
Spyware should also be of concern to private equity firms, as it can be used to secretly record what is done on your computer systems in order to capture data such as passwords, financial details and sensitive market data.
2. Impersonation in emails or online
32% of those surveyed had been subject to online identify theft, often used as a method of stealing money or valuable information from clients.
3. Online activism to cause downtime – DDoS attacks
15% had been subject to a concerted overloading of their servers with the aim of causing downtime – often by campaign groups or coordinated networks of computers hijacked by malware. For financial firms, the direct consequences of downtime can include loss of data, loss of revenue and damage to business reputation.
4. Unauthorised access to computers, networks or services
13% of businesses have suffered a hacking breach, which poses a significant risk of breach to confidentiality and financial details. Hackers can use simple methods such as guessing passwords to break into systems or access otherwise hidden areas of websites that may contain client information or private staff areas.
5. Money stolen electronically
13% of those surveyed had had money stolen electronically.
