Description: Cybercrime is becoming more and more dangerous every year. What’s the biggest digital threat out there? Should the government fight cyber criminals? What expenses are required to combat cyber-attacks? About this in our article.
Cybercrime 2021 – Everything You Need to Know
Cybercrime has long ceased to be something local and disorganized. It has become a branch of the economy and is quickly turning into a full-fledged industry. One of the most exciting aspects of today’s cybercrime economy is stratified: large theft processes are structured almost like multinational corporations and smaller ones like small single-owner enterprises. Large operations can generate more than $ 1 billion in profit per year, while smaller ones can generate more than $ 30,000-50,000. According to the latest data, the volume of the global cybercrime market is $ 1.5 trillion. This figure is comparable to the GDP of Canada or Australia, according to the World Bank. However, this is only the surface of the iceberg, and the losses are much more severe. Read the article to the end to keep abreast of the latest developments and know-how to protect yourself.
What Is the Biggest Cybersecurity Threat?
The biggest cybersecurity threat that no government can deal with is DDoS attacks. Over the past five years, the frequency of distributed DDoS attacks has steadily increased every year. At the same time, cyber attackers continue to develop sophisticated and effective methods of executing and evolving their attacks with enviable frequency.
We invite you to remember one number: 8.4 million. This is the number of DDoS attacks recorded by NETSCOUT specialists in 2020 – more than 23,000 attacks per day, 16 attacks every minute. In any case, this is a huge number of DDoS attacks. The NETSCOUT researchers found that in 2020, customer-focused services and applications were the most targeted by DDoS attacks. Unfortunately, no company can provide top security since everyone has vulnerabilities.
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What Are the Challenges of Cybercrimes?
Criminals are using the latest technologies and the Internet’s development, which has four billion users in the world. In this regard, it is necessary to create conditions for cooperation between law enforcement agencies of different countries, to update the legal framework that allows prosecuting fraudsters in cyberspace. However, financial, legal, and political issues hinder the development of common approaches to combat international cybercrime. Conflicts arise between countries, as each has its own view of solving the problem. Therefore, many countries fight alone instead of uniting forces. Perhaps this is the main difficulty that the governments cannot cope with.
What Will the Projected Cost of Cybercrime Be in 2021?
Just imagine, over the past two years, the cost of cybercrime to the global economy has grown by 50%. Consequently, spending on the fight against cyber-attacks will increase in 2021. According to the technological predictions of the research company Canalys, in 2021, spending on cybersecurity could reach $ 60.2 billion. In general, this year’s cybersecurity market will increase by 10% at best if current investment trends continue. Considering the possible impact on the economy of new quarantine restrictions, experts predict an increase of 6% – up to $ 57.7 billion in the worst case.
Did Big Cybercrimes Occur in 2021?
2021 did not even reach the equator, but cybercriminals began to carry out large attacks. In mid-February 2021, an unidentified attacker gained remote access to a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida, and attempted to poison the water supply by increasing the sodium hydroxide content to toxic levels. It is safe in minimal doses, but in high concentrations, it can cause various complications, from skin irritation to death from severe burns.
The hacker managed to pour the caustic substance into the water but managed to avoid mass infection. The attacker reportedly gained remote access to the water supply for about five minutes and then tried to increase the water’s sodium hydroxide level by more than 100 times. An operator at the waterworks noticed this attempt and manually lowered the sodium hydroxide level to the correct level. An attacker is known to have gained access to the water monitoring system through TeamViewer.
Can People Defend Themselves Against Cyber Criminals on Their Own?
Of course, there are methods to help combat cyberattacks. To do this, you need:
- Store your credit card PIN, passwords, and internet banking login information in a safe place.
- Be very careful when making online purchases. Use only official and verified sites.
- Use a VPN to surf the Internet safely. Modern VPN encryption and VPN servers allow you to hide your data on the Internet from prying eyes and hands. We recommend using the VeePN service. Note that you can get a VPN for free. The company provides a trial, during which you can evaluate all the capabilities of the tool. To use the program, you need to register on the site, download a VPN, and connect to high-speed servers. The service protects against WebRTS leak prevention, intrusion into the system, and theft of personal data.
- Do not use unlicensed software or download it for free from suspicious sites.
- Do not open suspicious letters and do not follow incomprehensible links.
- Be sure to install antivirus software.
- Back up important files and do not provide access to third parties to your device.
Of course, these measures are not a panacea for all possible threats on the Internet, but they can significantly minimize the risks of losing important information.
