Appendix E. The Hidden Statistics of Information Security

There are many statistical reports concerning information security in the modern world. Most books end with the ever-changing guess that x number of systems were hacked and y number of dollars were lost as a result. Such information can be extremely useful, but only if seen in the proper perspective. A great source for this type of information can be found at: www.securitystats.com/

Rather than giving some statistical samples that will quickly become outdated, it is the goal of this appendix to convey in some small degree how little we, the general public, the government, and even the author, actually know about the real statistics of information security. The goal here is not to instill any amount of fear or doubt, but rather to inform the reader so we may move forward with an awareness of some important facts.