The Threat of Online Security: How Safe is Our Data?

The same Internet connection that lets you reach out and touch millions of Web servers, e-mail addresses, and also endangers your PC and the information it contains about you. It has been published that over 100 million cases of identity theft, stealing names, credit card data and other personal information from unsuspecting Internet users have taken place since 2005.

A happened of threats to confidential information due to the increase of Trojans and bot networks enabling an attacker to gain access to a victim’s computer. Attacks that obtain sensitive data stored on an infected computer can result in significant financial loss, particularly if credit card or banking information is exposed. Confidential information used in identity theft is often confiscated as a result of a data breach. Data breaches and the potential use of confidential information for identity theft can result in a loss of public confidence, legal liability, or costly litigation. Not only can compromises that result in the loss of personal data undermine customer and institutional confidence and result in costly damage to an organization’s reputation.

In this unsafe Internet world, home users can lose valuable personal data with one click to the wrong website. Sometimes, when you receive an email request an update to your payment details, and a hacker gains access to your bank account. You've probably seen your share of phishing attacks, which look like communications from your bank, PayPal, eBay, or another online account. The message may ask you to click a link that leads to a bogus Web page, complete with realistic user-name and password log-in fields, or it might ask for a credit-card number. When you take the bait, the phisher harvests your data, and either sells it to someone else, or uses it to drain your account right away.

In any case, an Internet user should protect yourself against data theft and should have some safeguard to protect your confidential information.

Symantec had publish a report about the global Internet security threat. The Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report provides a six-month update of worldwide Internet threat activity.

To review the three biggest threat in 2007, click here.