During the past ten years , malware infections and data theft have increased dramatically, and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
With the proliferation of the Internet of Things , cybercriminals have many creative new ways to attack. As more and more everyday objects — refrigerators, washing machines, heating systems, light bulbs, and more — come online, they open new vulnerabilities and opportunities to cybercrooks. As an everyday user of computers and mobile devices, how are you most likely to encounter cybercrime?
Though social media may be one of the most popular ways to use the internet these days, email is still the most prevalent delivery method for cybercrime. Not only that, email fraud is the second-costliest cybercrime, according to the FBI. Email fraud encompasses phishing attempts, malware in the form of sketchy attachments or links, as well as some forms of digital extortion, ransomware, and exploit kits.
The deep web refers to all parts of the internet sites, e-shops, forums, etc. A subset of the deep web is the dark web, or darknet , which requires a special browser, such as Tor , to access it.
Although the dark web is not itself illegal, the anonymity it affords makes it a hotbed for criminal activity. On the dark web, cybercriminals can exchange the most dangerous and odious commodities our society has to offer: malware, drugs, weapons, child pornography, and even contract killing. The dark web is also where information, like stolen passwords or credit card numbers, gets bought and sold.
As mentioned, cybercriminals can target individuals, businesses, and governments. And at the risk of sounding alarmist, none of those groups are any more or less safe from threats than the others.
Cyber fraudsters are pretty indiscriminate when it comes to choosing their victims. The impacts of cybercrime can be devastating due to the high risk of data loss and financial impact.
Data breaches, identity theft, problems with devices: cybercrime can have a big impact on individuals. You might find yourself dealing with suspicious charges on your credit card as a result of identity theft, a ransomware attack demanding hundreds or thousands in blackmail to release your files, or expensive fees in data or electricity from cryptojacking or botnets. The costs can be worse than monetary when cyberbullying, including sexual harassment, is plaguing you.
Businesses as well as healthcare organizations and governments can also suffer from sensitive data loss, huge financial burdens, and brand damage. Data breaches can also have huge impacts on companies and their customers, such as the monumental Equifax hack, the Yahoo! Each state in the US has slightly different laws surrounding cybercrime. The punishments depend on the severity of the crime and the amount of damage done, of course.
Cybercrimes are usually classified as some type of felony, and the justice system is generally harsh on those who can be found and charged. Unfortunately, the most successful hackers are those who never get caught.
Another issue is the fast pace of technological innovation. In many cases, our laws are not current enough to adequately address all the possible forms of cybercrime. Malware infection : Your machine might start running slowly and sending you various error messages. Keylogger : You may see strange icons or your messages might start adding duplicate text. Botnet : If your computer becomes involved in a botnet , it may be hard to recognize at all.
Broadly speaking, sudden decreases in performance or strange behavior from your PC, tablet, or mobile indicates that you may have been the target of a cybercrime. You can also use an identity monitoring tool like Avast BreachGuard , which checks for data breaches and hacks, and informs you if your personal information is at risk.
If your identity was stolen, you should especially make sure to report the identity theft, including using the resources on IdentityTheft. Cybercrooks and thieves can be very hard to catch or stop, making broad solutions to cybercrime elusive. For specific instances of cyberfraud, we generally rely on the police, national security departments, and commercial cybersecurity firms to fight the bad guys. The best approach is to follow some common best practices. And how can you do that?
The best way to protect yourself against cybercrime is to exercise sensible digital habits. Here are some common-sense browsing habits that will help you defend yourself daily:. Always apply software updates immediately they fix security vulnerabilities.
Secondly, they differ in the way that they conduct their operations. Threat actors follow a six-step process, which includes researching targets and moving laterally inside a network.
Cybercriminals, on the other hand, are unlikely to follow defined steps to get what they want from their victims. Cybercriminals, Hackers, and Threat Actors Hacking does not necessarily count as a cybercrime; as such, not all hackers are cybercriminals. So, what exactly counts as cybercrime?
And are there any well-known examples? In this section, we look at famous examples of different types of cybercrime attack used by cybercriminals. Read on to understand what counts as cybercrime.
A malware attack is where a computer system or network is infected with a computer virus or other type of malware. A computer compromised by malware could be used by cybercriminals for several purposes. These include stealing confidential data, using the computer to carry out other criminal acts, or causing damage to data.
A famous example of a malware attack is the WannaCry ransomware attack, a global cybercrime committed in May WannaCry is type of ransomware which targeted a vulnerability in computers running Microsoft Windows.
When the WannaCry ransomware attack hit, , computers were affected across countries. Users were locked out of their files and sent a message demanding that they pay a BitCoin ransom to regain access. A phishing campaign is when spam emails, or other forms of communication, are sent en masse, with the intention of tricking recipients into doing something that undermines their security or the security of the organization they work for.
Phishing campaign messages may contain infected attachments or links to malicious sites. Or they may ask the receiver to respond with confidential information. A famous example of a phishing scam from was one which took place over the World Cup.
According to reports by Inc , the World Cup phishing scam involved emails that were sent to football fans. These spam emails tried to entice fans with fake free trips to Moscow, where the World Cup was being hosted. People who opened and clicked on the links contained in these emails had their personal data stolen. Another type of phishing campaign is known as spear-phishing. These are targeted phishing campaigns which try to trick specific individuals into jeopardizing the security of the organization they work for.
Unlike mass phishing campaigns, which are very general in style, spear-phishing messages are typically crafted to look like messages from a trusted source. They may not contain any visual clues that they are fake. Distributed DoS attacks DDoS are a type of cybercrime attack that cybercriminals use to bring down a system or network.
A DDoS attack overwhelms a system by using one of the standard communication protocols it uses to spam the system with connection requests. Cybercriminals who are carrying out cyberextortion may use the threat of a DDoS attack to demand money.
Alternatively, a DDoS may be used as a distraction tactic while other type of cybercrime takes place. So, now you understand the threat cybercrime represents, what are the best ways to protect your computer and your personal data? Here are our top tips:. Keeping your software and operating system up to date ensures that you benefit from the latest security patches to protect your computer. Using anti-virus or a comprehensive internet security solution like Kaspersky Total Security is a smart way to protect your system from attacks.
Anti-virus software allows you to scan, detect and remove threats before they become a problem. Having this protection in place helps to protect your computer and your data from cybercrime, giving you piece of mind. If you use anti-virus software, make sure you keep it updated to get the best level of protection. Be sure to use strong passwords that people will not guess and do not record them anywhere.
Or use a reputable password manager to generate strong passwords randomly to make this easier. A classic way that computers get infected by malware attacks and other forms of cybercrime is via email attachments in spam emails. Never open an attachment from a sender you do not know. Another way people become victims of cybercrime is by clicking on links in spam emails or other messages, or unfamiliar websites.
Avoid doing this to stay safe online. Never give out personal data over the phone or via email unless you are completely sure the line or email is secure.
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