{"id":14594,"date":"2012-03-13T16:53:01","date_gmt":"2012-03-13T22:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbachnet.wwwmi3-ss40.a2hosted.com\/index.php\/"},"modified":"2021-08-03T21:31:51","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T01:31:51","slug":"detroit-safest-online-city-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/detroit-safest-online-city-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Safest Online City Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DetroitNorton<\/a>, the anti-virus arm of Symantec<\/strong><\/a> (SYMC<\/a>) teamed up with research firm Sperling\u2019s BestPlaces<\/strong><\/a> to rank US cities based on a number of cybercrime risks and they found Detroit<\/a> the safest online city for 2012<\/strong>. I wrote about Detroit’s 2011 ranking here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Detroit\"<\/a>Bert Sperling<\/a>, lead researcher for the analysis said, \u201cBy looking at data from consumer lifestyle habits as well as cybercrime data provided by Symantec, … we\u2019re able to provide a holistic view of the various factors that put a person at potential risk.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Huff Post<\/em><\/a> reports<\/a> that the study looked at the prevalence of Internet use<\/strong> in addition to the types of risks users face online. Consumer statistics include the number of PCs, use of smartphones, the use of social networks<\/strong>, e-commerce, and accessing potentially unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots<\/a><\/strong>. BestPlaces<\/em> also looked at the following cybercrime data: bot-infected computers located within a specific city, attempted malware infections, spamming IP addresses<\/strong> found within a specific city, and web attacks originating<\/strong> within a specific city.<\/p>\n

\"Wi=Fi\"<\/a>Symantec says<\/a> Detroit<\/a> had low scores in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots, potentially risky online consumer behavior, and PC expenditures. Other low-ranked cities include Tulsa<\/a> and El Paso<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Users are at most risk for cybercrime in the following cities:<\/p>\n

1. Washington<\/a>
\n2. Seattle<\/a>
\n3. San Francisco<\/a>
\n4. Atlanta<\/a>
\n5. Boston<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Symantec\"<\/a>\u201cWith the explosion of smartphones, tablets, and laptops in recent years, and the rise of apps and social networking sites, our online and offline lives are blending together in ways that we\u2019ve never before experienced,<\/em>\u201d said Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate. \u201c…this analysis highlights the potentially risky factors we face each time we go online. By taking a few simple precautions now, people can make sure they stay protected against online threats<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greg Donewar, manager of the National White Collar Crime Center<\/a> told Huff Post,<\/em> \u201c… over the past year, we\u2019ve seen a considerable increase in cybercrime attacks, and whether a person lives in the riskiest online city or the safest, consumers everywhere need to be aware of the inherent dangers of online activity.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

rb-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Forbes<\/a> says<\/a> that cyber-crime is a $37 billion crime that affects 1 in 25 Americans. Take these steps to protect yourself online:<\/em><\/p>\n

Create better passwords. <\/strong>Avoid passwords like password, 123456, qwerty, abc123, or monkey, these<\/a> are the top most common passwords (I have been writing<\/a> about weak passwords for since 2010). Forbes says your first line of protection against cybercrime is to make sure all of your passwords follow these rules of thumb:<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n