Information Technology

An industry involved in the development, implementation, and maintenance of information technology systems and software.

Threats & Risks

Power Outages

IT companies are heavily dependent on electricity to keep their servers, computers, and other equipment running. Power outages or brownouts can cause business disruption and data loss.

HVAC Malfunction

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are crucial for keeping the office environment at optimal temperature and humidity levels. A malfunction in the HVAC system can result in uncomfortable working conditions, equipment overheating, and data loss.

Water Damage

Water damage can be caused by a number of things, including broken pipes, floods, or roof leaks. IT equipment can be severely damaged by water, leading to data loss and system downtime.

Fire Hazards

Fire hazards in IT offices can be caused by overloaded electrical systems, improperly stored flammable materials, or arson. A fire can cause significant damage to IT equipment and disrupt business operations.

Structural Damage

Structural damage to the office building due to natural disasters such as earthquakes or severe weather events can result in business disruption and equipment damage.

Physical Security Breaches

Physical security breaches such as theft or vandalism can lead to equipment loss or damage, data breaches, and business disruption.

Malware attacks

This includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other malicious software designed to disrupt computer systems, steal data, or take control of computers for criminal purposes.

Phishing and social engineering

These attacks target human behavior, tricking people into revealing sensitive information or taking harmful actions. Phishing emails, fake login pages, and impersonation attacks are common examples.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks

DDoS attacks aim to overwhelm computer systems or networks with traffic, rendering them unavailable to users.

Insider threats

This includes employees or contractors who misuse their access to steal data, cause damage, or commit other crimes.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

These are complex, targeted attacks that are often sponsored by nation-states or other well-funded organizations. APTs can go undetected for months or years and are designed to steal sensitive information or disrupt operations.

Ransomware

This type of malware encrypts files or entire computer systems, making them inaccessible until the victim pays a ransom to the attacker.

Zero-day vulnerabilities

These are software vulnerabilities that are unknown to the software vendor or users. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or steal data.

Internet of Things (IoT) security

As more devices become connected to the internet, there is an increased risk of cyber attacks against these devices. IoT security threats include botnets, ransomware, and device hijacking.

Phishing attacks

Hackers may use phishing techniques to gain access to sensitive information, such as login credentials, through fraudulent emails, websites, or messages.

Malware attacks

Malicious software, such as viruses, worms, and Trojans, can infect systems and steal or corrupt data.

Insider threats

Disgruntled employees, contractors, or vendors may intentionally or accidentally compromise data by stealing, manipulating, or deleting it.

Cloud computing risks

Cloud-based services may pose a risk to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability due to weak access controls, shared infrastructure, and cyber attacks on cloud providers.

Third-party risks

Third-party vendors, suppliers, and partners may have weak security practices or vulnerabilities that can be exploited to compromise IT systems and data.

Hardware and software failures

IT systems are made up of hardware and software components, which can fail due to various reasons, such as power outages, network connectivity issues, and software bugs.

Cyber-attacks

Cyber threats such as ransomware, malware, viruses, and hacking attempts can compromise an organization's IT systems, disrupt services, and lead to data breaches.

Human errors

Accidental or intentional actions by employees, contractors, or third-party vendors can cause IT service disruptions, data breaches, and other IT-related incidents.

Supply chain disruptions

Disruptions in the supply chain can affect the availability of critical IT components, such as hardware, software, and cloud services, which can cause IT service disruptions.

Cyberattacks

A successful cyberattack can cause an IT infrastructure to go down or data to be compromised, leading to business disruptions and revenue losses.

Power Outages

Power outages can impact an IT industry by causing downtime or data loss.

Equipment Failures

Equipment failure such as hardware or software failure can cause system downtime, data loss, and business disruptions.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires can cause power outages, equipment failure, and data loss.

Human Error

Human error, such as accidental deletion of data, misconfiguration of systems, or poor system administration, can cause business disruptions and data loss.

Standards Compliance Requirement

Standards	Requirement	Clauses
ISO 27001:2022	Information Security Management System (ISMS)	5.24 – Information security incident management planning and preparation 5.26 Response to information security incidents
ISO 27701	Privacy information management systems	6.13 Information security incident management 6.13.1 Management of information security incidents and improvements
ISO 22301	Security and resilience	Clause:8 8.5 – Operations
ISO 27017	Information technology — Security techniques — Code of practice for information security	16. Information security incident management 16.1.5 Response to information security incidents
ISO 27018	Information technology — Security techniques — Code of practice for protection of personally identifiable information (PII)	16 Information security incident management 16.1.5 Response to information security incidents