Something that most companies are still denying and pretending that isn't happening, insider threats from disgruntled employees. Most of my clients tell me that their employees are so trusted, there are NO insider threats. Yeah, that's NO in caps. As in, "there is NO need to test internal security" and "there is NO internal risks".

Well, in mobile workforce Singapore, your employees aren't as angelic as you think they are.

Taken without permission from http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/SME+Central/Story/A1Story20091210-185049.html

By Tan Weizhen

COMPANIES, beware. The person stealing sensitive company information could now come from within, and not just from external, unknown sources.

An Ernst & Young global information security survey of about 1,900 companies - including 105 from Singapore - found that internal threats have become an increasing problem for companies.

Given the increasing threat, half of the Singapore companies polled said they planned to increase spending on data protection services.

The dangers, said Ernst & Young partner of advisory services Gerry Chng, are very real and range from employees stealing company information to internally perpetrated fraud.

He recalled how a mole had been discovered within a bank three months ago. The mole was planted by a syndicate and was tasked with getting sensitive information. He declined to say if it was a local or international bank.

Insider threat here is most prevalent in the financial industry, with 43 per cent of companies polled reporting a rise in such breaches.

For other industries surveyed - which span government agencies, manufacturing, retail, technology and energy companies - it is at 22 per cent.

The most common breach is the theft and subsequent sale of information.

The numbers, warned Mr Chng, are set to get even higher, with the rise of new or emerging technologies that allow for fast and easy spread of information.

Private investigator Jeffery Ang said he had seen an increase in demand from companies in an emerging area that he calls 'integrity interviews'.

Said Mr Ang, 52: 'What I do is much more than the usual background check.

'It's specifically checking on whether the potential employees have had integrity issues in the past.

'For example, stolen data from previous employers, potential conflict of interest or any kickbacks or corruption.'

He added: 'From my experience, the situation is worsening as this generation of employees is driven by greed. They will hop from place to place to get more benefits. It is a new fraud area and cuts across all sectors.'

The Ernst & Young survey, in its 12th year, was conducted in 61 countries, including the United States, China and Malaysia.

Companies were also polled on managing information security risks, IT security spending, and regulatory compliance.

This article was first published in The Business Times.