Do You Know Just How Big a Security Threat Spam and Cybercrime Are?

It’s easy to assume that spam, those pesky junk emails that we get every single day, are nothing more than a nuisance. However, according to Brian Krebs, in his new book, Spam Nation, he explains that it’s much more nefarious for some organizations, including those that originate in Russia.

While many of these business individuals in the former Soviet Union don’t see themselves criminals because they saw a market that needed to be filled and began targeting it first with cheap prescription drugs to the U.S., many of these spam messages originating in this part of the world also include a wide range of focuses, including identity theft, credit card processing, ran somewhere, and in some cases pornography.

So what’s the threat?

The main contention that Brian Krebs makes is that few people connected to the Internet today even partake in common sense security for their own personal information. They simply don’t understand the risk involved in opening an email or clicking on a link or downloading an attachment. For some quick tips, everycloudtech.com has some great advice on this topic.

Cleverly designed subject lines are enticing.

A compelling email always starts with the subject line. It’s easy to spoof an address and make it appear as though it’s coming from a particular bank, company, or even a friend, but the subject line’s what intrigue people to open the messages in the first place.

Because people don’t pay attention to the details of those messages, scanning the sender email address, verifying if it is actually from their bank or other company they do business with, they put themselves at risk if they open the email message, download an attachment, or click on a link.

Where does cyber security start?

It is a global problem and one that far too many politicians and other political leaders simply don’t take as seriously as they should. One simple click, one little mistake, and a person could have their entire computer system hijacked and held for ransom. With these ransomware set ups, the individual would have to pay a ransom to have their computer unlocked and released back to them. Unfortunately, many of these men and women use their own personal credit cards to make the payment, and that subjects them to identity theft on top of what has already happened.

So, cyber ecurity starts with the individual.

It is much easier to keep one’s personal computer or even business systems safe than trying to retrieve it from somebody who remotely hacked it and locked it down. As we move forward in the technological age, the threats become more serious and diabolical, making it much more difficult to protect one’s computer system, personal information, and even assets safe.

Everyone needs to be aware of the threats that exist, even in the most seemingly innocuous spam emails. A good, high-quality spam filter is a great start, but even the best spam filters are not enough. People need to pay attention, understand the threat, and know what to do to help protect themselves in the future.