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Is the internet a safe place?

June 9, 2014 5:52 by

  • Is the internet a safe place? It can be if you learn to protect yourself against external attacks. takes a look at the most common types of cyber crimes that occur today.

  • Hacking

    Hacking refers to when an individual breaks into another person’s computer without consent. It usually occurs when a criminal is looking to extract sensitive information. When a computer is being hacked, there is no way of knowing that someone else has gained access to it. A hacker uses special software to break into devices.

  • Phishing scams

    Phishing refers to setting up illegitimate websites that are created to resemble a certain trustworthy organisation. Phishing scams usually involve forged banking websites that are created to lure victims into revealing valuable personal information, such as bank details. Symantec Corporation reports that, in 2013, one in every 392 emails was a phishing attack.

  • Malware

    Malware, short for malicious software, is harmful internet-based computer software that forcefully enters a device to retrieve sensitive information. According to the Symantec Corporation, one in every 566 websites contains some form of malware, which includes viruses, such as Trojan horses, adware and spyware.

  • Ransomware

    Ransomware is a sub-category of malware, but is noteworthy, as it does not extract information without the knowledge of the victim. A victim is notified using a ransom message demanding a sum of money and is locked out of his/her device. Once the culprit receives the ransom fee, the victim’s device is unlocked. A criminal usually threatens to erase all of the information on the device if the fee is not paid within a set time period.

  • Software piracy

    This is a growing issue for all organisation that supply paid-for software. Software piracy refers to the crime of copying purchase programs and distributing them illegally for free. This is generally done by illegal downloads via torrent websites or end-user copying, where the same program and license key is shared among a large number of people.



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