Cybercrime Changes Track to Mobile and Social Media in India

Bangalore: Crime hasn’t left any stone unturned and this also applies to cybercrime. Cybercrime in the world is keeping up with the changing avenues available to commit fraud and con people in large number as per a recent Symantec Corporation’s Norton Cybercrime report 2012. In India there are 137 million Internet users, 7 out of 10 users use their mobile to surf the net. Moreover, the social media user base in India has grown from 38 million in 2011 to 60 million in 2012 making both mobile and social media prone to cybercrime, reported K Rajani Kanth for Business Standard.

Both of these fast growing portals have been consistently targeted by cybercriminals though advance means and the users are barely aware of the security risks involved. This highly transforming trend has impacted many individuals with loss of identities, data and finances, which are only the few among the many crimes committed online. As per the report in the past 12 months more than 42 million people have turned victims to cybercrime in India alone, which has led to an unbelievable $8 billion loss in direct finance.

David Hall, the Asia Pacific regional consumer product marketing manager of Norton by Symantec, said, “Many of us at Symantec and Norton have been putting our heads together to predict some of what we can expect to see in 2013. Of the predictions we have come up with, I want to draw your attention in particular to two –– the likelihood that cyber terrorism will get highly personal as attacks focus on individuals or minority groups and the possibility that new electronic payment methods could be vulnerable to hacks and breaches,” as reported by Business Standard.

Also Read: India Battles Against Cyber Crime