Cybercriminals Targeting Everyone

Rise in identity theft; social networking users targeted.

Cybercriminals have taken no breaks in their quest to steal your identity through your computer and waste. The largest threat discovered in September is the surge of IRS email scams. The scam is arriving in millions of inboxes around the world and infected many with a password stealing virus. Although many computer users are suspicious of links in unfamiliar emails, the IRS email scam was successful through its legitimate look. The link in the IRS email redirected users to an infected website where a virus was silently installed. It is important to remember that internet email requires no authentication and can be spoofed to appear to come from anywhere. The IRS and banks warn repeatedly, account information will never be exchanged through email.

Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are both a popular launching ground for criminals to gather information on you. Criminals are using these platforms to read comments and gather information.  Thieves study images to gather inventories of household goods in the background. They also read when you will be away on vacation or gather tips on habits as to when you will not be home. Social networking intelligence gathering has caught on to be a useful tool for criminals. Be careful what you post on social networks and understand that information you post is being read by more people than you might think.

Identity theft is leading the list of threats with many becoming victims through their waste. Criminals collect personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and bank account numbers from discarded mail. Your trash is a criminal’s treasure unless personal information is shredded. Small personal shredders are available at a very low cost and can save your identity. According to the Pottstown Herald, a Pennsylvania news service, city businesses shredded over 9,000 pounds of unwanted documents in a recent public event to reduce identity theft. Shredding your documents eliminates the waste threat.

Online computer theft remains the top method of choice among thieves due to the low cost and ease of the schemes. Most computer theft relies on antivirus software being out of date by as much as a few days. With many new threats emerging daily, antivirus software companies are busy issuing updates to their software. Unlike the past, antivirus software is updated almost every day. It is important to use automatic updates to be sure you are protected from known threats. Having antivirus software out of date is like having no protection at all. Many new viruses are installed simply by visiting an infected website with inadequate protection such as out of date antivirus software.

2009 is known by many as the age of cybercrime. With the shaky economy, desperation for income has taken to new levels through computer theft. The best defense for your protection is knowledge and awareness.

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Threatcore provides daily links to technology news with emphasis on internet security, scams and identity theft.  Security and technology news is fast paced. Threatcore watches the news from over 100 sources and brings the information you need into one core place.