Deliberate damage caused to hardware, software and data is considered a serious threat to information systems security.
The threat from vandalism lies in the fact that the organisation is temporarily denied access to some of its resources. Even
relatively minor damage to parts of a system can have a significant effect on the organisation as a whole. In a small network
system, for example, damage to a server or shared storage device might effectively halt the work of all those connected
to the network. In larger systems, a reduced flow of work through one part of the organisation can create bottlenecks,
reducing the overall productivity of the entire organisation. Damage or loss of data can have more severe effects since
the organisation cannot make use of the data until it has been replaced. The expense involved in replacing damaged or
lost data can far exceed any losses arising from damage to hardware or software. As an example, the delays caused by the
need to replace hardware or data might result in an organisation’s being unable to compete for new business, harming the
overall profitability of the company. In recent years, vandalism has been extended to the Internet. A number of incidents
have occurred where company web sites have been defaced.