We could all be victims of cyber crime bandits

Nov 27 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

BUSINESSES in the region were yesterday warned that the growing threat from cyber crime is set to worsen in the near future as personal data becomes more easily accessible on the internet.

Data security experts who gathered at a seminar in Newcastle also urged company bosses to back up all sensitive data and to be wary of the risks of carrying information on mobile devices such as USB sticks and laptops.

Newcastle-based accountancy and business advisory firm RMT hosted the Business Continuity and Risk Management Summit at Northumbria University in an effort to raise awareness. According to RMT, 44% of small businesses in the UK have been a victim of cyber crime.

An RMT spokesperson said: “This is a major issue that impacts on business every day, and in the current economic climate, is another threat to the sustainability of business in our region.

“While there is plenty of advice and consultancy available at the corporate level, the IT industry has failed to address these issues in the small and medium size business sector, which interestingly is the sector that suffers most from cyber crime.

The seminar was introduced by David Reynolds, CEO of The International Association of Accountants Innovation & Technology Consultants (IAAITC).

Speaking to The Journal ahead of the event, Mr Reynolds warned the level of cyber crime will continue to grow unless web users become more vigilant when sharing personal details online.

He said: “The situation with internet theft will get worse because we have lots of information about us online – on company websites, social networks and you can even find out about people’s family history through genealogy. Identity theft is not that difficult. It will get worse until the public accepts that if they want the convenience of shopping online, they have to be far more cautious about who they share their data with.”

Mr Reynolds also warned web-users in the region against the dangers of using social networking sites such as Facebook.

He also told delegates at the event that personal credit card details were becoming easier to obtain on the internet – research has found that visa credit card information can now be bought illegally online for around £5, compared to £25 four years ago.

He said: “People need to be very careful in terms of the details they put up. They have to remember that what they put on their page will be there forever.

“You only have to look at what people like Google and Microsoft are doing – even if you delete something from the site, it may have been archived somewhere else.”

As well as Mr Reynolds, Dr Chris Laing of Northumbria University’s computer forensics department and DC Alan Hay were among the speakers at yesterday’s event.