Risk-Based Security Approach Helps Prevent Loss

By Tempy Wright, Dell SecureWorks

Despite ongoing advancements and investments in loss prevention, theft and fraud remain a top concern for most retailers. This holds true in the physical world of brick and mortar stores, and to an increasing extent, in the digital world of mobile and ecommerce.

One parallel between the physical and digital worlds can be seen in the rising impact of organized crime. Although overall shrink rates in 2011 decreased from 2010, retailers saw a dramatic rise in organized crime activity. The National Retail Federation’s 2012 Organized Retail Crime survey found that a record 96 percent of retailers were a victim of organized retail crime over the last 12 months.

Similarly, in the digital world, security experts have seen a corresponding increase in the number and sophistication of threats by organized criminals using tools and tactics that successfully evade most standard network and end-user detection and prevention methods. For example, criminals may use a combination of common online threats, such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, phishing emails and malware, as part of more complex data theft schemes.