Cyber Scares: Protect Your Business From Online Security Breaches

On an almost daily basis, cyber criminals successfully breach the security systems and networks of U.S. companies to compromise or steal personal and private information. Cyber attacks are occurring at an unprecedented rate and can result in significant financial fallout for companies. According to Ponemon's 2015 Cost of Data Breach Study, the average consolidated total cost of a data breach is $3.8 million — a 23 percent increase since 2013.

Data Everywhere

Although large data breaches in the retail, financial services, and healthcare sectors have dominated the headlines, the real estate industry is also very much at risk. For example, last year Essex Property Trust, a California-based real estate investment trust with nearly 250 apartment communities, reported a cyber intrusion that compromised its computer networks containing personal and confidential information.