External security threats can be caused by which of the following?

The correct answer reflects the nature of external security threats that organizations face. Tornadoes represent external factors that can pose a significant risk to both physical and digital assets. When natural disasters like tornadoes occur, they can damage facilities, disrupt services, and lead to data loss or breaches if proper safeguards are not in place.

Identifying tornadoes as an external threat is important because they are not caused by the organization itself or its internal operations but are rather environmental events that can impact business continuity and security. Organizations must have disaster recovery plans and safeguards that account for natural disasters to protect both physical infrastructure and sensitive data.

Other scenarios presented, such as employees stealing data or software failure, relate more to internal security threats or operational issues rather than external threats. Water pipe bursts, while potentially damaging, fall under operational risks rather than security threats. Understanding the different types of threats—both internal and external—is crucial for developing comprehensive security strategies within healthcare and other sectors.