The company can't guarantee information security unless everyone contributes to the cause. But they can't be there to protect you in every situation. Sure, the IS department maintains high-tech monitoring equipment and secures the firewall. But think about the information security breaches that occur outside the company fortress. A laptop computer containing essential trade secrets getting stolen at the airport, a hacker getting into the system via an easily cracked password, or an office computer carelessly left connected to the network for anyone to come along and use.
Attacks are on the rise and security breaches cost more Information security risks are on the rise.
Points of vulnerability have increased dramatically. Remote access means that people can access company data from computers located anywhere in the world. The Internet, intranets and extranets are ticking time bombs just waiting to be detonated by hackers. Gone are the days when Pinkerton security guards simply locked up information in a vault at the end of the day. Industrial espionage victimized a record number of U.S. companies in 1997.