The increase in reports of cyber threats over the past year has illuminated the Internet\u2019s inherent dangers, thus raising concerns as to how to business owners can\u00a0protect their companies from computer viruses and other looming security threats.<\/p>\n
Although many companies are (rightfully) investing in high-quality anti-malware and anti-spyware software, the potential still exists to fall prey to cybercrime.<\/p>\n
Cybercrime is a booming business<\/a> and criminals\u2019 tools continue to evolve in both sophistication and potential damage. Acquiring\u2014usually by theft\u2014and selling sensitive information is highly lucrative. Such information includes:<\/p>\n Additionally, cyber criminals often attempt to inject malicious software such as viruses, worms, and other malware to send spam, display advertising, or commit other nefarious and illegal activities.<\/p>\n According to Symantec, over three billion malware attacks occurred in 2010. This number has continued to climb, thus resulting in the development of more sophisticated software to protect sensitive personal and business data.<\/p>\n Even more recently,\u00a0PWC\u00a0reported that cybercrime rose from fourth to second place among types of economic crime. In a 2016 survey, over 25 percent of respondents reported having been affected by cybercrime, while 18 percent said they didn’t know if they had. Further, several respondents reported losses of over $5 million<\/a>, with almost one-third of respondents reporting cybercrime losses of over $100 million.<\/p>\n So how can a company protect itself from computer viruses and other cyber threats? It\u2019s important to first understand what those threats look like.<\/p>\n\n
Statistics<\/h2>\n
Types of Malware<\/h2>\n