Cybercriminals using sophisticated attacks, says Symantec Msia

Today’s cybercriminals are using more sophisticated attacks such as ransomware and spear-phising, which yield them more money per attack than ever before.

In a statement today, Symantec Malaysia Country Director, Alex Ong, said with the borderless nature of the Internet, cybercrime threats were not confined to any specific country and Malaysia was not immuned to it.

"Consumers can no longer be careless in protecting their valuable information, whether it is their personal identity, credit card or financial details.

"With an increasing number of Malaysians connecting to the Internet using their mobile devices, they need to take proactive steps to protect their information from security risks, especially threats that come through mobile devices," he said.

Meanwhile, Symantec said the global findings from the 2013 Norton Report showed that while the number of online adults who had experienced cybercrime has decreased from 46% in 2012 to 41% this year, the average cost per victim has risen by 50% to US$298 (RM952) from US$197 in the previous year.

It said with 49% consumers globally using their personal mobile devices for both work and play, this created an entirely new security risks for enterprises as cybercriminals had the potentials to access even more valuable information.

"This year's report further reveals that as consumers become more mobile and connected, these conveniences often come at a cost to them and their security," it said.

Symantec said the Norton Report also found that many consumers were engaging in risky behaviour that has them playing a game of chance with their private information, putting them at risk of becoming the next victim of online criminals.  - Bernama