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More punishment needed to dissuade cyber crooks

New data has stated that the total amount of malware accumulated over the last 21 years increased by 200 per cent in the course of just one year highlighting ever increasing online threats.

Malware detection tripled in just one year as 2008 recorded a growth in infections and the number of botnets and criminal profits, according to F-Secure's End-of-Year Data Security Wrap-Up for 2008.
This growth in internet crime calls for retaliatory growth in punishment to counter criminal activity for financial gain, which remains the driver for the massive increase in the threats, says the organisation.

According to Patrik Runald, chief security advisor at the internet security firm, more punitive measures need to be taken against cyber crooks or else they will continue to flourish.

"The bottom line today is that too few of the perpetrators get punished. As a result, we're sending the wrong message to criminals: here is a way to make lots of money and you will never be caught or punished," he said.

High profile victims of internet crime this year include the Beijing Olympics and US presidential candidates among others.

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