This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Cybercrime Costs Rising, Mountain View-Based Internet Security Firm Says

Fewer cybercrime incidents this year, but victims taking bigger hits, study says.

People are concerned enough about the security of their electronic devices to sleep with their smartphones and tablets, according to a study conducted by a Mountain View-based Internet security company.

Many of them are sleeping with the enemy, the same study said.

And it's costing them big money according to the 2013 Norton Report, one of the world's largest cybercrime studies.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The study said the fewer cybercrime incidents occurred over last year, but that the average cost per victim is up 50 percent over last year.   

"Today's cybercriminals are using more sophisticated attacks, such as ransomware and spear-phishing, which yield them more money per attack than ever before," Stephen Trilling, Symantec's chief technology officer said in a prepared statement.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Symantec is the parent company of Norton Internet Security.  

"With the findings from the Norton Report that 49% of consumers use their personal mobile device for both work and play, this creates entirely new security risks for enterprises as cybercriminals have the potential to access even more valuable information."

 

Mobile electronic device users are asleep at the wheel from an Internet security standpoint according to the study, which said 48 percent of smartphone and tablet users don't even take even the basic precautions such as using passwords, having security software or backing up files from their mobile devices.

 

This carelessness places them, and their digital identities, at risk, Symantec's Internet Safety Advocate Marian Merritt said.


"If this was a test, mobile consumers would be failing," Merritt said.

 

"While consumers are protecting their computers, there is a general lack of awareness to safeguard their smartphones and tablets. It's as if they have alarm systems for their homes, but they're leaving their cars unlocked with the windows wide open."

 

What precautions are you taking to protect yourself from cybercrime? 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.