By GIFT NDOLWANE
JOHANNESBURG – MORE than half of internet users that have lost money to cybercriminals never recover their money, hence the need for users to be vigilant always.
These are the findings of one of the world’s internet security companies, Kaspersky Lab.
The company discloses how costly these attacks are for internet users, and how lucrative they have become for cybercriminals.
On average, internet users lose $476 (R6 492) per attack and one-in-ten people surveyed said they lost more than $5 000.
The research reveals a majority of internet users say they conduct financial operations online (81 percent) and just under half (44 percent) store financial data on their connected devices.
Nevertheless, only 60 percent of internet users protect all their devices.
Cybercriminals are continually looking for new ways to exploit and defraud consumers which makes it important for internet users to be on their guard at all times, says Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, Head of the Anti-Malware Research Team at Kaspersky Lab.
He says 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.”
Zakorzhevsky says the best way to safeguard finances online is to make sure users do not become victims.
“For that we recommend specialist software that protects your identity and keeps sensitive data out of the hands of the cybercriminals.”
– Guardian