Computer Crime Incidents and Responses in the Private Sector
Edward M. Stroz · Fordham University Press eBooks · 2013
This chapter focuses on computer crimes and private sector responses. Companies can fall victim to various types of computer crime and accidental incidents. One type of incident is a data breach in which information a company has in its possession is stolen or in some way improperly released. Those who seek to steal information are sometimes referred to as threat agents, who can have different motivations for what they do. Some intruders are motivated by financial profit, and they may be interested in stealing personally identifiable information (PII) to sell to identity thieves, or intellectual property such as trade secrets or research and development information (industrial espionage). Other intruders may be motivated by ideology. Attacks from this type of intruder can include state-sponsored attacks, and are sometimes committed by trusted insiders of the targeted company. The remainder of the chapter discusses important response actions to cyber attacks and useful tips for preventing incidents. It concludes with ten observations that the author has found to be helpful in providing advice to clients.