Cyber crime in Singapore and how to protect yourself

According to an article on Channel News Asia, cyber-crime happens to 70% of Internet users here in Singapore, ranging from computer viruses to credit fraud to identity theft. Despite the extent of cyber-crime here in Singapore, many stay silent about it because the way cyber-crimes work today is that they steal only little information from victims, such that they feel it is unnecessary to report it to the authorities.

Here are some statistics about cyber-crime in Singapore from the article:
- Strongest emotional reaction to cyber-crime: Anger (58%)
- 1/4 blamed the criminals behind cyber-crime
- 1/3 felt responsible for cyber-crime activities that resulted form their responses to it
- 1/10 of Singaporeans have never fully resolved cyber-crime
- About 3/10 mentioned that the biggest hassle when dealing with cyber-crime was the time taken to deal with it
- More than 1/2 said their biggest fear of cyber-crime is possible financial losses

Given the prevalence and negative repercussions of cyber-crime in Singapore, I am sure many look to preventing cyber-crime. One way this can be done is by using a security softtware such as Norton AntiVirus. It helps to detect and eliminate online threats so that we can browse the Internet safely. It also has other feautures such as internet updates and rescue tools to help remove viruses and other malicious softwares on one's PC. Given that it is a leader in the industry, it provides one of the best Internet protections. Other popular security software providers include McAfee, AVG and Norman.

Secondly, one can employ the use of multiple passwords and also make sure that these passwords are frequently updated. This prevents hackers from easily hacking into one's other accounts.

Also, one should always remember to never disclose personal information such as one's address, telephone numbers, passwords, credit card numbers and so on unless absolutely necessary and only when it is an exchange with an authentic and credible source. This is to prevent identity theft and other related cyber-crimes.

Lastly, it is good to be educated about cyber-crimes as much as possible. They should come from credible sources such as books, credible online sources and even relevant authority figures. This includes knowing the different forms, how it happens, prevention methods and so on. With these knowledge, we are then better able to detect such cyber-crimes and decrease our chances of falling prey to it.

These are just some things that we can do as individuals to prevent ourselves from falling victim to cyber-crimes. Afterall, we are responsible for what we do online. If we do not take precautionary measures to protect ourselves from cyber-crime, we only have ourselves to blame should we fall victim to it. So, start now, before it's too late!