Hackers, malicious insiders, human error and more; data breach threats come from many sources. A new report released from data breach response insurance company Beazley has found the incidence of breaches related to malware is on a rapid rise.
Here are three key points from the report.
1. In 2014, 18 percent of data breaches were traced back to hacking or malware. Last year, 32 percent of data breaches were related to malware or hacking.
2. Data breaches due to human error actually declined from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, 32 percent of all breaches were due to unintended disclosure of records. In 2015, that number dropped to 24 percent.
3. "Clearly, new malware programs, including ransomware, are having a big impact," said Paul Nikhinson, privacy breach response services manager for Beazley Breach Response Services. "Hacking or malware was the leading cause of data breaches in the healthcare industry in 2015, representing 27 percent of all breaches, more than physical loss at 20 percent."