In 2015, the number of data breaches initiated by malicious insiders increased from 2014, while the number of outsider attacks and inadvertent incidences fell, according to the IBM X-Force Research 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index.
Here are three key findings from the report.
1. In 2014, outsiders orchestrated 45 percent of data breaches, but that number fell to 40 percent in 2015. That means the percentage of breaches initiated by insiders rose from 55 percent in 2014 to 60 percent in 2015.
2. Healthcare was the mostly frequently attacked industry in 2015, followed by manufacturing, financial services, the government and transportation. In 2014, healthcare wasn't even among the top five targeted industries.
3. Across industries, unauthorized access is the main cause of incidents, accounting for 45 percent of data breaches. Malicious code followed (29 percent), as did a sustained probe/scan (16 percent), suspicious activity (6 percent) and access or credentials abuse (3 percent).
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