Ransomware attacks rose during the first half of 2017, accounting for 32 percent of attacks and up 50 percent over the first half of 2016, but employee error and third-party risks were close behind at 30 percent, according to a recent Beazley Breach Response report.
During the first half of 2017, Beazley’s team handled 1,330 attacks for which hacking and malware events represented the dominant cause. However, the firm cited accidental breaches by employees and vendors as a “major problem.” In the hardest-hit sector, healthcare, accidental breaches accounted for 42 percent of events, well ahead of all other causes of loss.
Examples of errors include unintended disclosure of information, such as misdirected emails or faxes or personal information. Though dominant in the healthcare sector, higher education and financial services also experienced these types of events, accounting for at least a quarter of all events for each sector.
This story in an excerpt of the original. The content originally appeared in Cyber Front Page News.
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Erin is the managing editor of Advisen’s Front Page News. She has been covering property-casualty insurance since 2000. Previously, Erin served as editor-in-chief of The Standard, New England’s Insurance Weekly. Erin is based in Boston, Mass. Contact Erin at [email protected].
