Who Is At Risk of Becoming a Victim of Cybercrime?

We all know that whenever we go online we put our computers at risk of catching a virus or other malware, or worse yet; become a victim of identity theft. In fact, 73% of Americans have been a victim of cybercrime in some form or another. Yet we continue to think that it won’t happen to us. Well, who does it happen to?

Here are some examples to show you that even if it doesn’t happen to you when you go online, it can still happen to you indirectly. If you are a business owner or run a commercial bank, this information is even more important because you don’t only need to look out for your business, you also have to protect all your customers’ and clients’ information. As you take a look at the cases below that involve huge brands that we may be involved with every day, consider how easily this may happen for your business and what you can do to keep your customers’ data and your business safe.

AT&T iPad Email Theft
In June 2010, hackers discovered a web application on AT&T’s website that returned an iPad user’s email address when presented with specially written queries. The hackers then wrote a script and ended up stealing over 114,000 email addresses.

McDonald’s Databases Hacked
In December 2010, McDonald’s released a statement saying that their databases were hacked and an undisclosed number of personal customer information was stolen. The data was information that customers had entered when signing up to receive emails from McDonalds on one of their websites. The information included name, address, phone number, birth date, and gender.

Cybercriminals Hack Into Honda Online Database
In December 2010, cybercriminals hacked into the database of American Honda Motor Co. and stole the names, email addresses, and Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) of 2,2 million car owners. A separate list of 2,7 email addresses with no personal information was also accessed.

Wyndham’s Computers Hacked Into
End of 2009 through beginning of 2010, in a three-month period, hackers broke into the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts computer systems stealing customers’ credit card information, including guest names, credit card number, expiration dates, and other data from the card’s magnetic strip.

Hackers Steal Walgreen’s Email List
In December 2010, a computer criminal stole Walgreens’ email marketing list. The criminal then used the list to send out realistic-looking emails that asked recipients to enter their personal information into a website that was controlled by the hackers.


Hopefully this information has shown you that anyone is subject to becoming the victim of cybercrime. It is important that businesses and individuals protect their data. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ can help with that.

WebProtection™ is a one-time install, light-weight data loss prevention (DLP) application that operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware ensuring that endpoint data is secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

Consider adding the extra layer of protection that is needed for your business and yourself. For more information, go to our website www.SafeCentral.com to learn more and view a demo of the product.