The Top Trends in Cybercrime to Be Aware Of

Introduction

The development and progression of cybercrime have been one of the fastest-growing computing trends in the information or data age. Everyone needs to be taking advantage of the available knowledge and research on cybercrime to tighten their own security.

One of the first steps in your defense is to build the right knowledge base. It’s well worth doing a professional online BS in cybersecurity as it will stand you in good stead and provide a wealth of knowledge as to these current trends and how to defend against them.

The Top 5 Trends in Cybercrime

The following trends are the ones that you need to be informed of and aware of, as these can bring your business and personal life crashing down around you if your online integrity is not protected.

1. Malicious Covid-themed sites

This has been a worrying trend for a while, and as a business or individual, or both, you need to be aware that there has been a rise in sites professing to provide genuine Covid notifications only to result in nasty phishing attacks. Since the pandemic and the level of general anxiety increased, approximately 130,000 illegitimate Covid-19 themed domains have been established. It is because people genuinely want information, and criminals know this.

2. Proliferation of malware

Gone are the days when you needed to be a cyber sleuth to institute an attack; now, the malware can be purchased online on the dark web and then simply uploaded or sent to the unsuspecting victim. There are a number of ways to counter this increase in malware, but the number one piece of advice is to stick to known software and insist on incredibly strict download protocols for your business network.

3. Increased risk due to the IoT

IoT comprises many new devices attached and connected, many that are mobile and on the go, yet still connected to household security, heating, banking, and more. These new entry points have become new avenues of access to your data, and entry through a hacked digital dishwasher to gain passwords and personal demographic data is not unheard of.

4. Crypto crime

The use of cryptocurrencies has been on the increase for all forms of transactions. Although it is a form of finance that has acutely defined security protocols, there have been a number of breaches, and it is a financial sector that is now under constant attack.

5. Business email jacking

It is the bread and butter of the cyber-criminal, and this is a trend that is unlikely to slow any time soon.

The Takeaway

No doubt there will be new and interesting ways for cybercriminals to steal and misuse data. As technology evolves, so do the criminals and potential threats.

The aim of an article like this one is to ensure that you are well informed and know what to look out for, as this is the only way that you can then institute the right type of security protocols to protect what is being referred to as the ‘new gold’, your data.

The information provided herein should provide you with a clear idea of what to look out for and how to avoid being a victim of crime.