The Sky Has Fallen

As posted in the PC Advisor Magazine Blog

January 22, 2007

Excerpted

In terms of internet security, the sky isn't falling. It fell a long time ago. And human greed combined with passive indifference means it's only going to get worse.

In 2006 alone, a third of all US adults had their identity and financial information stolen or lost. Bogus messages make up 90 percent of the email traffic on the internet. Ninety-nine percent of all spyware exists to steal your money. Tens of millions of dollars are being stolen off the internet every day from bank fraud, phishing attacks, bogus stock trades, extortion, etc. A large percentage of the internet is owned and operated by the criminals, and they almost never get caught.

In the future, there will be a huge internet crime theft . The loss will total in the billions of dollars after a single hour. When it is through, it will interrupt the internet, the banking system, and business in general for a week or more as we struggle to find out how it happened. Our resolve and trust in our money being stored in electronic bits will be tested.

Why am I so sure it will happen? Because we've got human greed on one side and passive indifference on the other.

The techniques that would allow hackers to steal billions of dollars are absolutely no different than the ones they already use to steal millions of dollars today. Most criminals are content to steal hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. They understand the phrase "staying under the radar". But one day, an online Lucky Luciano (recognised as the father of organized syndicated crime) will rise up and go for the big one.

These are the facts. Internet criminals almost never get caught. They are successfully stealing tens of millions of dollars every day. Which is more likely to happen in the future: criminals will steal more, or criminals will steal less? We all know the answer. And while everyone reading this column cares, society in general doesn't.

NON ARTICLE NOTE: From an INVISUS Direct Internet Safety Advocate.  Once again the serious need for corporate grade Internet security in the form of a living, changing, adapting hassle free service is so clearly indicated.  The INVISUS PC Security Service is the protection needed by individuals, families and small businesses across the USA. Nothing is better!