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Cyber Crime Impacting 330 People Every Minute 

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Cyber criminals are attempting to hack an average of 330 Britons a minute, according to an international VPN provider which conducted the research. Indeed, cyber fraud has become so commonplace that the average person suffers some kind of a cyber-attack three times a year, whether that is through spam or phishing emails and ransomware.

Of those who suffered a financial loss, the research states that securing bank credentials or other financial data was a crucial part of the online theft. Around one in ten have been asked to pay a ransom to regain access to their accounts or were threatened with sensitive information being published online. Disturbingly, one in twelve who took part in the survey had experienced hackers gaining control over their computer’s webcam.

Some of the most frequent attacks are pop-up adverts, which can happen due to hacking,experienced by nearly half of respondents to the research over the past year. Another common form of hacking is when an email account is hijacked and then friends and colleagues start to receive spam from your address.

Just one third of those who took part in the survey hadn’t suffered any hacks at all – possibly due to a more cautious approach to their online security, or less time spent online overall.

Here are a few quick and easy ways to safer online:

➢ Always use strong passwords or a password manager.

➢ Don’t visit suspicious links or websites that come in unsolicited emails.

➢ Don’t open unsolicited emails – send them straight to junk.

➢ Always go to the website directly of your service providers rather than clicking on links in emails.

➢ Encrypt any sensitive files on your computer.

The NEBRC works to help businesses and individuals be as prepared, forewarned and protected as against cyber crime and fraud. 

To find out more about the NEBRC’s work and the free support available for your business speak to a member of the team today: [email protected]