This year’s 2010 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report has turned up some surprising facts about data security and data breaches. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations report garners information from the United States Secret Service amongst other sources in order to provide companies with information about data breaches, where they come from and how to counteract them with any efficiency.

According to the new annual report, in 2009 data breaches were more often the result of insiders, i.e. people working inside a company. Organised criminal groups also largely accounted for the increase in the amount of data breaches experienced in 2009. According to the figures, organised crime groups were last year responsible for 85% of all stolen data. Most worryingly of all though, is the fact that the majority of security breaches could have been prevented with simple and easy-to-install protection.