Just how bad is IP theft?

Pretty bad according to a research report just released from McAfee,
Inc. According to the report:

Companies surveyed estimated that they lost an average of $4.6 million worth of intellectual property in 2008. Forty-two percent said laid-off employees were the single biggest threat to their intellectual property and other sensitive data they faced in the current economic climate.

The report also states four key findings:

  1. Increasing amounts of IP and sensitive customer data are being sent around the world and a percentage is being lost.
  2. The worsening economy is creating a “perfect information security risk storm” because laid off employees stealing IP now constitutes the largest risk.
  3. The countries of China, Pakistan, and Russia are particularly bad risks of IP loss.
  4. Cyberthieves have grown more sophisticated. Now rather than steal credit card numbers, why not steal the IP for creating the
    credit card processing programs?

To download the report, go to McAfee Unsecured Economy Report.