Resellers have been urged to ramp up their security consulting business after research found that half of data breaches are caused internally.

According to KPMG’s Data Loss Barometer, 1,034 data breaches were reported between 2005 and June 2008, with 280 million people losing personal details.

With the number of breaches set to hit 400 this year, KPMG said the problem is getting worse as firms become reliant on technology. About 19 per cent of breaches occurred at government organisations.

Channel onlookers were most shocked by the report’s finding that 50 per cent of cases came from internal sources.

Bruce Hockin, head of business strategy at distributor Avnet equIP, said: “It is interesting that not a lot is actual theft – ­ a lot is pure data loss.

“There is plenty of money for resellers to make in terms of investigating and auditing security procedures.”
Nick Garlick, managing director of VAR Nebulas Solutions Group, said KPMG’s research could represent just the tip of the iceberg.

“Data breaches in the public sector have been more widely reported than the private sector, where a lot will have been kept quiet,” he said.