4 Simple Steps

Cybercrimes are simply ‘crime’ with some sort of ‘computer’ or ‘cyber’ aspect; and like traditional crimes they too can take many shapes and can occur nearly anytime or anyplace.
The trend is that the attacks of cyber criminals only become increasingly malicious. The worse thing is that the methods used by cyber criminals continuously evolve to become more complex and sophisticated making their attacks harder to detect and prevent.
In the Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec Corp. reveals that the current Internet threat environment is characterized by an increase in data theft, data leakage, and the creation of targeted, malicious code for the purpose of stealing confidential information that can be used for financial gain.
In the company web site, Symantec recommends four “simple steps” to be taken when victimized by cybercrimes,
1. such as unplugging the network cable, phone, or cable line from the machine to prevent data from being leaked back to the attacker;
2. scanning the computer with an up-to-date antivirus program to detect and remove crimeware threats;
3. backing-up of critical information, which may be lost due to theft, or clean-up efforts after suspected theft;
4. and prompt closure of affected accounts (e.g. credit card and bank accounts).

In the end, end-users, whether consumers or enterprises, need to ensure proper security measures to prevent an attacker from gaining access to their confidential information, causing financial losses, harming valuable customers, or damaging their own reputation.