Security firm Symantec have released a bi-annual report claiming two of the web's most illicit activities are on the increase.
Phishing attacks, where scammers send fake emails in a bid to gain private data, have risen 39% and DoS (denial of service) attacks on websites were up a whopping 50% over the last six months. The firm said that the increase in cybercrime was geared more towards subtle theft and less towards gaining attention.
Nearly eight million phishing emails are sent per day, according to the report, and DoS attackers are increasingly taking advantage of unwitting PC users by installing exploits such as software robots to silently commit their crimes for them.
Symantec's
director of technical services for northern Europe, Richard Archdeacon, said: "Gone are the days when script-kiddies used to develop attacks which would cause maximum damage and attract as much attention as possible.
"The people behind today's cybercrime are using silent and more targeted methods to steal data," he added.
It seems today's developments in technology come with their own repurcussions, as the increase in web users creates a wave of fresh targets for fraudsters.
View: Symantec Threat Report
