Quick Bytes: Gender and Cybercrime

One in five U.S. Web surfers have fallen victim to an online scam, according to a recent Microsoft-commissioned survey. Of those victims, 81 percent said they had taken some action that put their system at risk, such as opening an e-mail attachment that appeared to be from a credible source. Microsoft said the greatest risk to online consumers this year is cybercriminals posing as trusted third parties. The study also found that men claim to be more knowledgeable about online fraud, with about 47 percent calling themselves “knowledgeable” or “very knowledgeable,” compared to around 36 percent of women. Men seem to be more frequently victimized, however: 63 percent said they had never been scammed online, compared to 69 percent of women.