Cyber attack overtakes human error as top cause of data loss

Cyber attacks are now the number one cause of data loss, according to research from Databarracks, marking the first time cyber has overtaken human error as the top cause of data loss.

Some 38% of 400 organisations polled by Databarracks reported cyber attack and internal breaches as a cause of data loss in 2022.

Barnaby Mote, managing director of Databarracks commented: “For many of us, these results should come as no surprise. Data loss caused by cyber attacks has been increasing year on year since we began the Data Health Check in 2008. In a relatively short space of time, we’ve watched cyber attacks go from minor threat, to where we are today as the leading cause of data loss for organisations.

“The seriousness of the situation cannot be overstated. The other causes of data loss have not gone away. IT teams are still dealing with similar numbers of incidents caused by human error and hardware or software failure. The growth is in addition to these causes. It is a significant burden because recovery from cyber-related data loss is typically far more difficult and time consuming.”

Databarracks’ research also found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that ransomware is currently the most common form of cyber attack.

    Share Story:

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE


The Future of Risk & Resilience with AI & Data
CLDigital's Co-Founder, Tejas Katwala, joins CIR Magazine to discuss how CLDigital is transforming enterprise risk and resilience. By integrating business processes, AI and data-centric strategies, organisations can move beyond compliance to proactive risk management – simplifying operations, strengthening resilience, and driving business performance. Listen now to explore the future of intelligent risk management.

Communicating in a crisis
Deborah Ritchie speaks to Chief Inspector Tracy Mortimer of the Specialist Operations Planning Unit in Greater Manchester Police's Civil Contingencies and Resilience Unit; Inspector Darren Spurgeon, AtHoc lead at Greater Manchester Police; and Chris Ullah, Solutions Expert at BlackBerry AtHoc, and himself a former Police Superintendent. For more information click here

Advertisement