Top IT security threats

The Information Commissioners Office has recently issued a report on the top IT data security threats which have led to some data breaches and some monetary penalities for the companies involved.

The top eight computer security weaknesses highlighted in the report include:

• a failure to keep software security up to date;
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  a lack of protection from SQL injection;
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  the use of unnecessary services;
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  poor decommissioning of old software and services;
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  the insecure storage of passwords;
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  failure to encrypt online communications;
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  poorly designed networks processing data in inappropriate areas; and
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  the continued use of default credentials including password.

 You can read the full report at http://ico.org.uk/news/latest_news/2014/~/media/documents/library/Data_Protection/Research_and_reports/protecting-personal-data-in-online-services-learning-from-the-mistakes-of-others.pdf

The report is not aimed at IT professionals and is an easy read, highlighting the most common errors organisations make with some good examples.