Increases in Webmail storage heighten spectre of IP theft, warns Ibas

Ibas is advising its clients to urgently review internal policies covering Webmail usage.

The computer forensics firm is acting following a spate of announcements from Google, Yahoo! and Lycos, amongst others, offering 100MB to ‘virtually unlimited’ Webmail storage capacity. These moves, warns ibas, significantly increases the risk of Intellectual Property (IP) theft.

A survey of 400 UK business professionals conducted earlier this year by ibas revealed that using personal email accounts is the most common method for stealing IP. According to the research, 53.1% of business professionals who have stolen IP have done so using a personal email account; 28.1% have done so by copying files to a floppy disk; and 21.9% have done so by burning copies of files to CD.

Ibas believes that increased Webmail storage capacity may fuel a significant upsurge in IP theft as data thieves will now find it easier than ever before to steal larger files, including entire databases, rather than just individual records or documents.

The computer forensics specialist is advising clients to update Internet usage policies, ensure incident handling procedures are in place and remind staff of the action that will be taken against those found stealing IP. Whilst this may not prevent cases of commercial espionage, it will help deter opportunistic theft by disgruntled employees or leavers.

"Stealing IP by uploading it to a Webmail account is the method of choice for most data thieves," said Simon Janes, international operations manager at ibas. "It allows them to bypass security measures such as email filtering systems and is much less risky than burning CDs or getting caught with a removable storage device.  It also leaves less evidence for computer forensic investigators to trace."

"Increased Webmail storage will afford data thieves more opportunity as it will make it easier for them to steal files containing corporate IP that may not have been at risk before purely because size. Enhanced Webmail effectively provides a virtually bottomless electronic swag bag," added Janes.

Recent Webmail storage capacity announcements include:

· 1 April 2004 - Google announces its intention to launch Gmail, a service offering users 1GB of storage;
· 13 May 2004 - Yahoo! announces plans to upgrade Yahoo! Mail storage from 4MB to 100MB for non-paying users and from 25-100MB to "virtually unlimited" capacity for premium subscribers;
· 18 May 2004 - Lycos upgrades its subscription-based Webmail accounts to 1GB storage.
 

NOTES TO EDITORS
Ibas, established in 1978, is one of the world's leading companies in Data Recovery, Data Erasure and Computer Forensics. The Group's Head Office is located in Kongsvinger, Norway, with subsidiaries, distributors and partners worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ibas.com

For further press information about Ibas, to request photography or an interview, please contact George Coleman or Lisa Worrall at Nelson Bostock Communications:

Phone: +44 (0)20 7229 4400
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