Codifying impacts of cyber attack

Cyber-security researchers have   identified a total of at least 57 different ways in which cyber-attacks can have a negative impact on individuals, businesses and even nations, ranging from threats to life, causing depression, regulatory fines or disrupting daily activities. Researchers, from the  Department of Computer Science  at the University of Oxford and Kent's  School of Computing  set out to define and codify the different ways in which the various cyber-incidents being witnessed today can have   negative outcomes. They also considered how these outcomes, or harms, can spread as time passes. The hope is that this will help to improve the understanding of the multiple harms which cyber-attacks can have, for the public, government, and other academic disciplines. Overall the researchers identified five key themes under which the impact - referred to in the article as a  cyber-harm  - from a cyber-attack can be classified: Physical/Digital Each category contains specific outcomes that underline the serious impact cyber-attacks can have. For example, under the Physical/Digital category there is the loss of life or damage to infrastructure, while the Economic category lists impacts such as a fall in stock price, regulatory fines or reduced profits as a possibility. In the Psychological theme, impacts such as individuals being left depressed, embarrassed, shamed or confused are listed, while Reputational impacts can include a loss of key staff, damaged relationships with customers and intense media scrutiny.