High Anxiety What Fuels Internet Security Fears

Phishing Nets 6x New Victims3 in 10 people fall prey to phishing attacks, a six-fold increase in just two years. Phishing accounts for one of the most serious concerns that organizations have with respect to identities and data.

Consumer Awareness DoublesConsumer awareness of phishing attacks has doubled between 2007 and 2009 and the number of consumers who reported falling prey to this attack increased six times during that period. Social networking websites have become a hotbed for online criminals because of their global reach and the participation by hundreds of millions of active users. These communities are prime targets for exploitation by criminals who seek to steal personal information through socially engineered attacks.

Hotbed For Online CriminalsFour out of five (81 percent) people using social networking websites expressed concern with the safety of their personal information online. Nearly two in three (65 percent) people indicated they are less likely to interact or share information due to their growing security concerns. Consumers’ safety concerns translate to significant eagerness for better identity protection.

Online Criminals Adept at Social Engineering “Fraudsters continue to fine-tune their array of tactics that result in millions of computers becoming infected with Trojans and other malware. These online criminals are adept at social engineering with at-the-ready phishing attacks that are launched within moments of breaking news about popular celebrities, professional athletes or serious global events." – Christopher Young, SVP at RSA.

Phishing Attacks Have Evolved Despite increased awareness, there have been a growing number of online users that have fallen victim to a phishing attack which can be attributed to more advanced communications tactics and greater sophistication such as improved writing and web design skills on the part of the fraudsters. Phishing attacks have also evolved in an attempt to exploit users in different ways and through a broader variety of methods including offshoots known as “vishing,” “smishing” and “spear phishing.”

Surge In Recent Months The sheer volume of phishing attacks launched in recent months is also contributing to these trends. The RSA Anti-Fraud Command Center recently reported the highest-yet detected rates of phishing attacks between August and October 2009, as well as a 17 percent increase in the total number of attacks between 2008 and 2009.

Everything Online There’s online banking, the dramatic adoption of social networks that open up more data and information to the Net. Consumers using online banking (86 percent) websites expressed more concern with the theft of their personal information than those using healthcare portals (64 percent) and government websites (68 percent). More than half of all consumers reported that they are less likely to share information and interact on these websites.

Better Protection Wanted Consumers agreed that their identities should be better protected than with just a simple username and password on social networking (59 percent), healthcare (64 percent), government (70 percent) and online banking (80 percent) sites. Nine in 10 are willing to use a stronger form of security if offered.

Layered Approach To Security “In order to maximize the full value of what the online world can offer, organizations need to take a layered approach to Internet security in order to best protect their customers’ information.” — Young.