17 Apr 2009

Ex-employees 'pose a threat to data'

Companies should ensure their systems are not at risk from former staff committing revenge attacks, a sector figure claims.

As the effects of the global downturn take hold, many frustrated ex-workers are seeking to hack into their previous employer's databases to corrupt information, says Tamar Beck, group event director of the Infosecurity Europe exhibition.

She points to one incident occurring in San Francisco last year, in which a former network manager closed down the city's entire government website.

"It does happen and when it does happen it can be quite spectacular. The other danger is you might not find what's been tampered with," Ms Beck comments.

She says servers which have been taken out may take weeks to reinstall, posing significant problems for organisations in sectors such as finance.

Recent research by IT staffing company ReThink Recruitment reveals 32 per cent of departments have cut employee numbers in the past 12 months, highlighting the need for enhanced security.