Cybercrime activity has become rampant as of late and includes: identity fraud, online scams, cyber theft and cyber extortion. Given that networks are typically penetrated over the internet the criminals involved continuously develop new techniques to breach data. It’s estimated that over half of cybercrime activity is the work of organised crime gangs typically operating in countries such as South Africa, where regulation is weak.

The Norton Report found that about 47 percent of South African smartphone users have experienced mobile cybercrime in the past 12 months, compared to 38 percent globally. Thirty-seven percent of South African smartphone users had basic free security software, compared to 33 percent globally.

Following these tips will reduce your exposure to cybercrime online:

• Only click through to trusted sources when conducting searches, especially on topics with high attention.
• Be cautious on home machines as well as mobile phones and do not click on links or attachments in spam emails.
• Using a paid for anti-virus software provides multiple resources to keep you up-to-date on the latest security threats.
• Make sure you have a Firewall that manages all of your inbound and outbound email traffic to protect organizations from email threats and data leaks.

Marian Merrit, an internet safety advocate describes “today’s cyber criminals as using more sophisticated attacks, such as ransom ware and spear-phishing, that yield them more money per attack than ever before”