According to research from the Computer Security Institute and FBI, out of 494 survey respondents, overall financial losses were $141 million. Last year, respondents reported losses totaling $201 million.
Denial-of-service attacks were the most expensive computer crime, according to the survey.
The survey also indicated that organizations are using economic metrics to evaluate their security buying decisions: 55 percent use Return on Investment, 28 percent use Internal Rate of Return, and 25 percent use Net Present Value.
Although the survey shows that cybercrime continues to threaten U.S. businesses, "respondents appear to be getting real results from their focus on information security," CSI director Chris Keating said in a prepared statement. "Their average dollar losses per year have dropped in each survey for four straight years."
The survey queried 494 security practioners in U.S. corporations, government agencies, and universities.
