Insider cyber attacks are becoming a growing problem for Kenyan organisations, a report has revealed.

The 'Kenya Cyber Security Report' by Serianu, an IT security consulting firm, says that insider attacks against organisations are on the rise owing to a lack of tight security measures in most public and private institutions in the country.

The report cites cases where several local unnamed companies have had sensitive digital documents, which can only be accessed by employees, stolen.

“We came across a shocking case of an insider attack against a leading company in Kenya.

“We identified an internet website that has published a wide range of internal and sensitive documents. The website which has been in operation since May 2011 includes sensitive documents such as; internal management memos, internal audit reports, internal email messages to employees and HR documents,” stated the report.

The Serianu report also said that even leading banks, media houses and companies listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) have been compromised by hackers and sensitive information released to the public.

The report has urged organisations to implement appropriate security controls which will enable them anticipate threats.

“It is imperative that local organisations take action before the situation worsens and the cost of inaction becomes even greater,” read the report.

Serianu said companies should identify the most critical information assets, confirm what controls are implemented on each asset and continuously assess these controls to ensure compliance with set policies.