The Verizon 2012 Data Breach Investigation Report found that 58% of data stolen in 2011 was the result of hactivism, which involves computer break-ins for political rather than commercial gain. In previous years, most hacking was carried out by criminals, Verizon said.

TIPS:

Altogether, Verizon examined 855 cybersecurity incidents worldwide that involved 174 million compromised records. This is the largest data set that Verizon has ever examined, thanks to its including the U.S. Secret Service, the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit and police forces from Australia, Ireland and London.

Outsiders - rather than rogue employees - were responsible for 98% of the data breaches examined by Verizon last year.