Like every other thing, being connected to the internet does have its side-effects. One cannot always expect the outcome of being online to be all merry and fairyland like. There’s also a particularly dark side of this technology and no one likes to talk about it until they experience it themselves. They realize the importance and implications of ‘cybercrime’ only after becoming a victim.
According to a new research from cyber security firm Kaspersky Labs, thousands of internet users become victims of cybercrime. But there are crimes which affect them financially and mostly they have to struggle to recover their lost money. The report suggests that more than 50 percent individuals have to suffer at the hands of cybercrime. They either only get some or none of their stolen funds back.
Surveys conducted by the firm suggests that over 81 percent individuals now conduct transactions digitally. And nearly 44 percent of them also have the habit of storing financial credentials on their connected devices. But, taking a bird’s eye look at this survey reveals that only a mere 60 percent of individuals follow stringent cybersecurity practices. While others are more lenient and prone to cyber attacks, that are continuously on the rise.
Kaspersky’s research further sheds light on the average cost of these cyber attacks for an online user. It mentions that internet users tend to lose an average of $476 per attack. And every tenth individual who’s been struck with a cyber attack has lost more than $5,000. And this is being caused due to lack of knowledge about the subject.
With regards to the same, the report suggests that 45 percent people who’re scammed online are of the opinion that they will be refunded by their banking institution. They believe that it’s no big deal and the bank will ultimately handle the cybercrime. This thought has, thus, driven more than 52 percent individuals to never getting back their lost money.
Talking about the same, Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, Head of the Anti-Malware Research Team at Kaspersky Lab, says,
Cybercriminals are continually looking for new ways to exploit and defraud consumers and that’s why it’s important for Internet users to be on their guard at all times. Cybercriminals can conduct financial crimes via malware, phishing and more. Don’t assume you will always get all your money back if you become a target and funds are stolen from you.
With the rampant increase in the variety and sophistication of financial threats online, the consumers are now more prone to online fraud, identity theft, and hacking. This is running individuals across the globe a bill worth billions a year while providing criminals with a definite source of income.
