Access rights - Protect access to your data or lose it: Serious misconceptions about information security

While huge effort and resource is spent in securing the perimeter, threats within company networks often go unnoticed. Yet successfully controlling and managing access is essential in preventing users from sabotaging or damaging the organisation. Even unintentional misuse of privileged user accounts can cause enormous problems from a security, compliance and liability standpoint. Nick Lewis of Wallix details five major misconceptions about IT security, which, if unfixed, can lead to poor protection. Late in 2012, a grand jury indicted an ex-employee and contractor of Toyota for damaging its computer systems. It's alleged he accessed the company's supplier web portal after having left the firm in August of that year. It's claimed he subsequently stole extremely sensitive information that Toyota alleges would cause it and its suppliers immediate and irreparable damage. As the legal battle to silence the ex-contractor continues, the incident raises some critical issues regarding privileged access rights. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.