Dramatic increase in online identity theft - McAfee

By Staff Writer for Trellix
Johannesburg, 23 Mar 2007

McAfee has released a white paper from McAfee Avert Labs highlighting global identity theft trends, including what it says is a dramatic increase in online and computer-based identity theft.

According to the report, the number of keyloggers has increased by 250% between January 2004 and May 2006. Additional findings show that the number of phishing alerts tracked by the Anti-Phishing Working Group has multiplied 100-fold over the same period of time.

The report also provides practical guidelines that minimise the risk of identity theft to help users protect themselves and prevent this increasingly common crime.

"Identity theft is a global phenomenon that threatens all of us, which means we all need to become more aware, more vigilant and less trusting," says Chris van Niekerk, regional director: Africa at McAfee. "By learning where we are vulnerable, and how and why criminals engage in identity theft, we can then take the necessary precautions to avoid being victimised."

Van Niekerk urges users to watch out for phishing scams, such as fraudulent e-mails and Web sites that impersonate legitimate businesses to trick people into revealing personal information. "Also avoid clicking on links in e-mails to visit Web sites, rather manually type a company's correct Web address into the browser," he says.

Van Niekerk says companies should install comprehensive security software and services, including anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection - and keep it up to date. "Use caution when opening e-mail attachments, regardless of who sent them," he warns.

Take care before sharing e-mail addresses, advises van Niekerk. Permanently erase computer hard drives before disposing of old computers, and make sure Web sites are secure before visiting and providing personal information.

He recommends always using strong passwords and exercising caution when communicating through instant messaging.

The white paper, titled, "Identity Theft," is available for download at http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/white_paper.html

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