Hacking up, reporting down, says FBI

NEWS Cybercrime has risen in the US in the last 12 months but the number of companies reporting security breaches has fallen, according to the FBI. The FBI's annual report, entitled Computer Crime and Security, found that while 90 per cent of respondents detected a security breach over the last 12 months, only 34 per cent reported the crime to the authorities. In the 2001 report, 36 per cent of crimes were reported, with 25 per cent of breaches reported the previous year. The total amount of money lost to cybercrime last year was up at $455.8m, compared to $378m and $265 m in the previous two years. The majority of the companies questioned said they expected some form of financial loss through cybercrime. Over 500 organisations and individuals across the US participated in the survey.