‘The attacker still has the upper hand,’ says the Dutch government’s most recent Cyber Security Report. The report continues: attackers are getting smarter, more devices are being connected to the internet and yet many incidents could have been prevented by implementing basic security measures.
The human and business consequences are high. In 2011, for example, internet banking fraud alone resulted in Dutch losses of €35 million, according to the report. Over 3 million Dutch citizens in 2013 said that they have been victims of cybercrime in the last 12 months according the Norton Cybercrime Report.
In 2012, one in eight Dutch adults were the victim of cybercrime, according to government research. Young people, who are more active online, were more likely to be victimised, with one in five being affected. Worryingly, in an increasingly social online world – 30% of social network users say they share passwords with others whilst 35% are happy to connect with people they do not know online. (Source: Norton Cybercrime Report).
The threat is not going away. Citizens and businesses need to be proactive in their own defence against cybercrime; particularly as we all transact more online and mobile devices multiply. And while nine out of ten victims of phishing and skimming do report the incident to the authorities, prevention is the preferred option.
The Nationaal Cyber Security Centrum’s website offers advice and security alerts in Dutch. For more information about Symantec Website Security Solutions in the Netherlands, visit our website or call us to find out how we can help your organisation stay safe online.