Cybercrime seen to be getting worse: The time to act is now

Is the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime increasing? Most people in North America and Europe think it is, based on the surveys that I’ve been looking at. Earlier this year the European Union published the results of its latest consumer survey on internet security in which 87% of internet users agreed that the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime is increasing (see the Resources link below for details of EBS480: Special Eurobarometer 480: Europeans’ attitudes towards Internet security).

New SA Police division to target cybercrime and financial fraud

The surging use of technology in crime has prompted South Australian police to establish a new division dedicated to cybercrime and financial fraud.

The new Financial and Cybercrime Investigation Branch began operations last week and involves 90 staff, including forensic accountants, digital analysts and expert investigators.

It has absorbed a number of areas previously dealt with by the Commercial and Electronic Crime Branch.

Police Minister Corey Wingard said the unit would have the ability to respond to an evolving criminal environment.

Securing Your Corporate Email System

When it comes to your email address, you might presume that only you can send an email that originates from that address. Similarly, when you receive an email, you might presume that whoever owns the email address it claims to originate from has sanctioned that message. However, there is nothing in the original standards for email that guarantee either of these things. In reality, this aspect of electronic mail works very similarly to physical mail. A sender address might be on the envelope, but that alone proves nothing.

Of course, as email grew in popularity, solutions were devised to address this problem, but since they are not part of the core standards, they remain optional. It requires careful configuration on both the sender’s and receiver’s side to make it possible to verify the authenticity of sender information.

Cyber Crime Widely Underreported Says ISACA 2019 Annual Report on Cyber Security Trends

ISACA, one of the world’s oldest cybersecurity organizations and a global network of over 460,000 IT professionals, produces an annual “State of Cybersecurity” report that tracks cyber security trends and emerging threats. Part two of the 2019 edition has a number of interesting revelations, the biggest of which is the apparent scope of underreporting of cyber crime.

Kenya, Africa's Cybercrime Preparedness Found Weak

African governments are not well equipped to deal with cybercrime attacks increasing their vulnerability to loss of data and money through hacking.

According to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2017, African governments need to consider policies that support continued growth in technology sophistication, access and security, and adopt national cybersecurity strategies.

FTSE 250 firms exposed to possible cyber-attacks, report finds

The average FTSE 250 company exposes 35 different avenues of attack for would-be hackers, according to a report, despite the vast majority having “serious issues” with keeping business-critical systems up to date.

According to the cybersecurity company Rapid7’s report, created by scanning for systems and devices used by FTSE 250 corporations that are visible on the public internet, the 35 different “attack surfaces … [are] neither good nor bad, but each exposed node … potentially boosts the opportunity for attackers to gain a foothold.

Ghana police to set up two cyber crime units

In line with their objective of dealing effectively with cyber crime, the Ghana Police is set to erect two cyber crime units to add to the existing one at their headquarters in Accra.

The new cybercrime units which will be situated in Takoradi and Kumasi will serve the Northern and Southern sectors respectively. 

This was made known by the Deputy Director of the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police CID Department, DSP Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, at a forum organized by the Ghana Insurers Association at the Mensvic Hotel in Accra.