“…The usage of Internet through mobile phone had been on a rapid upward trend. This led to 42 per cent more mobile vulnerabilities last year compared to the year before, as shown in a Symantec Internet Security Threat Report…”
“…cybercriminals were starting to focus their efforts on the mobile space as more and more mobile users switched to smartphones and tablets instead of the conventional desktops…”
A recent worldwide study conducted by Norton by Symantec aimed at unveiling the cost of global crime, has concluded that online adults footed a bill of over US$388 billion in the past year.
According to Symantec Corporation Sdn Bhd consumer sales manager Jason Mok, the price tag came to be as the study took into account not only the direct cash cost of cybercrime – that being the money stolen by cybercrime and money spent on resolving cyber-attacks – which was up to US$114 billion, but also the amount which victims of cybercrime valued the time they lost to cybercrime, which was US$274 billion.
“The Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 found that more than two thirds of online adults have been a victim of cybercrime in their lifetime. Every second, 14 adults become a victim of cybercrime, resulting in more than one million cybercrime victims per day,†stated Mok, who also pointed out that the rate was higher than the worldwide birth rate.
Mok marked this as a sign that cybercriminals were starting to focus their efforts on the mobile space as more and more mobile users switched to smartphones and tablets instead of the conventional desktops.
“This had led to an increasing importance of mobile security, as you are not only losing your phone or tablet, you are losing your personal information, identity as well as your money,†Mok informed the crowd during a media briefing held at a hotel here yesterday.
