CSI/FBI 2004 Survey results

#118 The CSI/FBI Computer Crime survey is regulary reviewed by security proffessionals and customers alike on an annual basis. The survey, which included about 700 respondents from government and a variety of industries, found that the average losses related to computer attacks dropped by 61 percent in 2004. On average, companies reported that computer and network attacks cost them $204,000 last year, down from an average of $526,000 in 2003.This marks the fourth consecutive year that this number has declined. Part of the reason for the drop is the fact that companies have simply become better at protecting themselves and product/AV vendors have been stepping up to the bar.

However, the cost of information theft jumped considerably in 2004. The heat of hacker activity has moved to identity theft. The survey found that the average net loss attributable to unauthorized information access jumped from more than $51,000 in 2003 to more than $300,000 last year. Attacks that resulted in the theft of proprietary information cost companies more than $355,000 on average in 2004, up from $169,000 the previous year.