Cybercrime poses a significant threat to businesses. According to a 2005 survey, 67% of businesses detected at least one cybercrime, with the majority experiencing multiple incidents. Common cybercrimes included cyber theft, attacks, and other security incidents. These crimes resulted in substantial financial losses and system downtimes for many businesses. More recent FBI statistics show that cybercrime continues to rise significantly. To protect themselves, businesses need to implement strong security software and protocols to detect and prevent cybercrimes like phishing schemes, malware, fraud, and identity theft. Staying proactive and adaptive is key to combating cybercriminals.

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CYBERCRIME IN BUSINESS
D.C. Washington
DeVry University
BUSN-420: Professor Levin

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It isimportantto knowthat Cybercrime isbigbusinessinAmericaandthroughoutthe world.Inasmuch
as a statistical breakdownshowsusthis,we can extrapolate thatthere willremainthatare enamoredof
it. If the “businessof Americaisbusiness”[asCalvinCoolidge sofamouslysaid],then,surelywe should
make it a part of ourbusinessregimentoguardagainstthisplaque thatsoeasilyaffectsourdailymeans
to do commerce usingsovital a tool as the internet. The sadstatisticsare palpable andthe Bureauof
Justice Statistics[BJS] give the following:
In 2005, among 7,818 businesses –
 67% detected at least one cybercrime.
 Nearly 60% detected one or more types of cyber attack.
 11% detected cyber theft.
 24% detected other computer security incidents.
 Most businesses did not report cyber attacks to law enforcement authorities.
 The majority of victimized businesses (86%) detected multiple incidents, with half of
these (43%) detecting 10 or more incidents during the year.
 Approximately 68% of the victims of cyber theft sustained monetary loss of $10,000 or
more. By comparison, 34% of the businesses detecting cyber attacks and 31% of
businesses detecting other computer security incidents lost more than $10,000.
 System downtime lasted between 1 and 24 hours for half of the businesses and more than
24 hours for a third of businesses detecting cyber attacks or other computer security
incidents.
Of course, these were from 8 years ago and gleaned using the NCSS [National Computer
Security Survey] documentation that pertains solely to the United States. As our firm does some
of its’ business abroad, take note that this is not an American phenomenon so much as it is the
result of a human condition. It is ubiquitous. To illustrate this, note the following:
and understand that our 23% of the pie comes from
our lack of preparedness in large measure. This Primer – it is hoped – will proactively deter this.

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Furthermore, FBI statistics indicate that cyber crime statistics show that it is on the rise as can be
show here:
This would serve to illustrate that issues stemming from merchandising payments and outright
fraud involving File Scams are to be avoided [and, thus, deserve our focus]. It is critical that we
think outside of the box that most of us are in by reason of our not being criminal. Many of the
people who do this, do it for a living, are skilled programmers and/or practitioners skilled at
evading detection simply because of ineffective measures being taken to combat this ongoing
issue. The evidence is overwhelming that cyber crime merits our full attention. A December
[2014] survey by the Ponemon Institute [which informs concerning data security issues] showed
“that nearly half of IT security professionals & experts view cyberthieves as their biggest
concern…”
We can do no less. The survey found 92% of respondents suffering some type of cyberattack and
the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] reports that in 2007 there were some 221,226 internet-
related fraud complaints. Of course, we rely to some degree on our online payments so
organized cybercrime via the internet affects us as well.

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Moreover, we should and must be adaptive as well as proactive as the dark hackers in cyberspace
surely are. As illustrated above, our major points of focus should be:
non-delivery of merchandise or non-payment for items sold
FBI-related scams [via emails, text-based phishing schemes etc.]
identity theft
computer-targeting
advance fee fraud
spam
auction fraud
credit card and overpayment fraud.
When, for instance, we routinely send out eBooks and emailings to select customers concerning
sales, markdowns and the like, we need to proactively envision the cyber-criminal salivating at
the opportunity that this routine measure could afford him. Phishing, mock advertisements,
duplicate emails filled with viruses and software Trojans could be there tools to pry into our
business clientele. To counter this, we need to implement the state-of-the-art software suite of
tools that are available to the business sector to provide tracking and combative measures to
detect and stop such efforts.
Referenda:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/
www.how2becomeanfbiagent.com
http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=41
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096525900970057X
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/feds_ready_to_tackle_cybercrime/