Hot-blooded males are likely cybercrime targets —Norton

Porn-surfing, online-dating young males likely targets of cybercrime, according to a new report from Norton. If you're a young man whose Internet activities revolve around viewing adult content, gambling and online dating, you better watch out: a recent study by security firm Norton reveals that you are most at risk of falling victim to cybercrime. According to the Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 released Thursday, at least four in five of male mobile users aged between 18 and 31 years old—or those called millenials—have fallen prey to cybercriminals in their lifetime. Norton explained, however, that the target profile is not so much a matter of preference by cybercriminals as it is the type of activities men usually engage in over the Web. According to Effendy Ibrahim, Norton director for consumer business in Asia, men generally spend more hours surfing the Web than women, at a rate of about 25 hours per week. "Men generally spend more hours communicating with strangers over the Internet," Ibrahim said. "It's the kind of stuff men do [over the Internet] that makes them more susceptible [to cybercrime]." Internet porn: breeding ground of cybercriminals? According to the Norton report, there are nearly four times as many men as women who view adult content online; twice as much men as women who gamble online; and twice as many men as women who go online dating. Ibrahim said these types of activities have led to what is known as "unforeseen cybercrime," leading to more men (72 percent) having been victimized by cybercriminals than women (65 percent). The study found, however, that cybercrime incidents occur mostly among the millenials than baby boomers. Compared with their older counterparts, millenials typically spend 28 hours online per week (21 hours for baby boomers). At least 77 percent of these users spend their online time on social networks, a known habitat of viruses and other forms of malware. This has led to more millenials (at 75 percent) becoming victims of cybercrime than baby boomers (61 percent). "The Internet is very much a part of the life of millenials," Ibrahim explained. "Baby boomers, on the other hand, didn't grow up with the Internet. Transitioning to mobile With more mobile consumer devices being produced each day, Norton said cybercriminals are slowly taking notice of the emerging mobile space—in 2011 at least 10 percent of online adults have been victimized by mobile-related cybercrime, the report said. The figure is similarly higher with millenials (57 percent) than adults (55 percent) in emerging markets such as the Philippines, it added. "Two things worry me," Ibrahim said. "Mobile applications and crimes will be committed from or against mobile phones. As use of smartphones grow, we are going to basically have computerized wallets and I would see that as being both a target and means of attack." Just like it has revolutionized the way users consume content, the mobile revolution is likewise changing the way security firms address security threats, according to Norton. By the first half of next year, the security firm will be offering what is called a "personalized security service" dubbed as Norton One, which will be a device-agnostic protection suite. "There is absolutely no denying the massive amount of consumer electric devices that can be connected to the Web," said David Hall, regional product marketing manager for Norton's consumer business. Unlike security software offered for desktops or notebooks, Norton One is a membership-based offering "spanning PC, Mac and mobile security solutions," the company said. With the upcoming offering, users no longer need to worry about having their devices protected from threats, as "licenses can be moved between devices or removed if the device is no longer being used." Hall didn't disclose how many devices can be connected with a single membership, but hinted that it would typically fit a normal household. — TJD, GMA News