Cyber crime has become bigger than drug trafficking for the criminal fraternity. Whats more, say security company Symantec who develop the Norton software range of anti-virus products, one in five people will become a victim of cybercrime in the future.

Symantec research has shown that every three and a half minutes a crime is committed on the streets of New York City, and that every two and half minutes a crime is committed on the streets of Tokyo. Compare that though with every three seconds an identity is stolen online; that’s nearly 10,512,000 identities each year.

And one of the real attractions for cyber criminals is not only the profitability of such crimes, but their anonymity as well, which makes online crimes much more difficult to prosecute than offline crimes.

In response, Symantec has launched a self-styled ‘crusade’ against viruses. It claims to be exposing the inner workings of one of the largest illegal industries in the world and in doing so, hopes to help provide the information that people need to stay protected through a collection of educational and actionable assets and corporate actions.

These include:

• Internet Black Market video series. These videos invite people to take a virtual tour and learn how the online criminal marketplace operates, including what is for sale and highlight the latest cyber thief schemes;
• Every Click Matters website. This takes what they claim to be an entertaining and educational look at the world of cyber crime, exploring digital dangers and who’s behind them, understanding whether cyber crime can actually do to people and educate them on what you can do about it;
• Norton Online Risk Calculator. Could be a useful add on as it offers a quick and free tool to evaluate a user’s risk level and provides an estimated value of their personal data to thieves in the criminal underground;
• “Cyber Crime Exposed” Booklet. This educates on the threat of cyber crime, the risk it poses and how to safeguard against it through simple everyday steps;
• Norton Internet Security 2010 and Norton AntiVirus 2010. Symantec lobbies governments and other agencies and organizations around the globe to support and influence legislation, policy and public education as it relates to online crime, Internet safety and privacy.
• Making it harder for cyber criminals to scam computer users. Symantec educate on the threat of cyber crime, the risk it poses and how to safeguard against it through simple everyday steps;
• Norton Internet Safety Advocate. Via one Marian Merritt who is a nationally recognized representative for Symantec’s ongoing efforts surrounding Internet safety. She works alongside educators and public and private organizations to help families enjoy the Internet safely and securely.

So there you have it; viruses are now more popular than drugs.

Guest Article by Neil Camp