Abstract
Information security is currently reaching a crisis point that makes it one of the biggest problems facing companies today. Even relatively few security breaches affect vast numbers of people. A review of stories that ran in technical publications during 2005 revealed that only 102 security breaches were reported, but they affected over 56 million people. These breaches are not just hitting smaller firms with fewer resources either. Severe breaches were reported by companies including Ford Motor Company, Bank of America, and Time Warner as well as smaller firms, such as DSW Retail, UT Medical Center, and Lucas City Children's Services.