While cybercrime aimed at corporates is rife in South Africa, individuals and small businesses are reportedly the largest growth area for cyber attacks, according to AON.

Cybercrime statistics recently posted by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre show that South Africans lose in excess of R2.2bn to internet fraud and phishing attacks annually. These are scary numbers, but even scarier is the lack of successful prosecutions in South African courts.

Prevention is the best cure
Ensuring that you do not become a cybercrime victim is imperative. But what should you do? The National Cyber Prevention Council in the US offers the following tips:

Create strong passwords
Create passwords with eight characters or more and that use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Keep private information private
Keep social security numbers, account numbers, and passwords private, as well as specific information about yourself, such as your full name and date of birth.

Lock
Lock your computer and smartphones when not in use.

Protect
Be cautious about opening attachments or clicking on links in emails and remember that free apps (games, ringtones, screen savers) can hide viruses or spam.

Own your online presence
Always use privacy settings on social networking websites.

Only do business with reputable vendors
Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established vendor.

SA stats proved by AON Insurance.

Return to main article