These systems create a new and challenging arena of risk. This challenge can be met. It takes a management-level commitment to risk management. Each day throughout the world thousands of hacking attempts are undertaken. Most large financial institutions and corporations have experienced serious damage due to glaring network security failures.
Threats originate from both outside and inside the network.
These threats range from something as simple as stealing confidential email to the outright theft and transfer of hard currency assets. Other hacking attempts are simply designed to embarrass you, wipe out files, and deny you access to important systems. While more common, these threats can and routinely do create substantial financial losses for the institutions which suffer them. On top of all of these external threats you also have to deal with nuisance risks such as previous employees who create back doors into your systems in order to rifle through your organization's confidential information long after leaving your employment. While large corporations tighten up network security, hackers are searching for easier targets.