2013 Norton Report: Cost per Cybercrime Victim Up 50 Percent
Consumers Sleeping With Their Smartphones and Tablets, but Failing to Use Protection
Bangkok. – November 14, 2013 – Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) today released findings from the 2013 Norton Report, which shows that while the number of online adults who have experienced cybercrime has decreased, the average cost per victim has risen by 50 percent.
“Today’s cybercriminals are using more sophisticated attacks, such as ransomware and spear-phishing, which yield them more money per attack than ever before,” said Stephen Trilling, Chief Technology Officer, Symantec. “With the findings from the Norton Report that 49% of consumers use their personal mobile device for both work and play, this creates entirely new security risks for enterprises as cybercriminals have the potential to access even more valuable information.”
The report also found that while nearly half of all smartphone users care enough about their devices to sleep with them, they are not protecting them. Forty-eight percent of smartphone and tablet users do not take even the basic precautions such as using passwords, having security software or backing up files from their mobile devices. This carelessness places them, and their digital identities, at risk.
“If this was a test, mobile consumers would be failing,” said Marian Merritt, Internet Safety Advocate, Symantec. “While consumers are protecting their computers, there is a general lack of awareness to safeguard their smartphones and tablets. It’s as if they have alarm systems for their homes, but they’re leaving their cars unlocked with the windows wide open.”
For more findings from the 2013 Norton Report globally and by country, please see the press kit. For more information on Norton mobile protection offerings, please go here.
About the Norton Report
The Norton Report (formerly the Norton Cybercrime Report) is one of the world’s largest consumer cybercrime studies, based on self-reported experiences of more than 13,000 adults across 24 countries, aimed at understanding how cybercrime affects consumers, and how the adoption and evolution of new technologies impacts consumers’ security.
i Norton Cybercrime Report, September 2012, page 6 http://www.norton.com/2012cybercrimereport; US$197 average cost per victim; Symantec Corporation, Norton Report, October 2013, page 8 go.symantec.com/norton-report-2013; US$287 average cost per victim
