A malicious act is an act committed deliberately by a person inside or outside the company, with the aim of causing damage. It can be committed for a wide variety of reasons, and takes the form of an action - theft of equipment or sensitive information, vandalism, sabotage, etc. - or the deliberate failure to carry out certain tasks, in order to damage the company. 

The most common risks are:

• The loss of sensitive data (customer information, financial data or trade secrets) that can be used by cybercriminals to commit fraud, extortion or other illegal activities.
• Disruption to the company’s business, resulting in lost revenue, unhappy customers and a tarnished reputation.
• The (significant) financial costs, such as the cost of repairing damage, recovering data and possible legal proceedings.

Malicious acts can also have indirect consequences, such as loss of customer trust, loss of contracts and legal action.

Our security tips

Here are a few tips to help you detect a malicious act:

• Be alert to any unusual changes and report any suspicious activity immediately, either to your line manager or a person you trust within your company. 
• Update your security software regularly. Software updates often include security patches that can help protect your system from malicious acts.