Cyber criminals go in for the kill; ATM thefts rise

Keeping yourself safe in the cyber era has become a key priority not only for individuals but also for companies. While more numbers of literate people are susceptible to cyber attacks, companies are equally vulnerable. Cyber security and coping with cyber attacks has become a boardroom agenda for many companies.

Yet not many companies are adopting the measures required to protect their data. This is evident from the fact that big malware or ransom ware attacks are experienced by companies. Though according to law enforcement agencies, ATM card theft is the most reported cyber crime.

According to research by Symantec, KPMG, and Honeywell, cyber criminals are about to up their game by attacking the millions of devices now connected to the Internet of Things (IOT) both in offices and homes. A KPMG study says the key motive of the attackers is financial gain followed by fraudulent activity, defamation, disruption, and cyber terrorism. Cybercriminals are planning the attacks by doing demo runs, investigating and exploiting the human factor. They do it by targeting desktops/laptops used by employees, email servers, web-app server, information stored with management, and ERP systems.

CID SP U. Ram Mohan said, “When computers are used in the proper way, there is no vulnerability, but when they use it over confidently that’s when the problem starts. So vulnerability is in your hands. Geography doesn’t matter in case of cyber crimes.”