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eSecurity
ID theft shot up 79 percent last year from 2002, affecting 3.4 percent of U.S. consumers, according to Gartner, a business research and consulting firm. One reason it's growing is that such thieves face only a 1-in-700 chance of getting caught. ID thefts directly cost U.S. businesses $1.2 billion in 2003, Gartner estimates. Source: Associated Press, October 7, 2004
Nearly 2 million Americans have had their checking accounts raided by criminals in the past 12 months, according to a soon-to-be released survey by market research group Gartner. Consumers reported an average loss per incident of $1,200, pushing total losses higher than $2 billion for the year. Source: MSNBC, June 14, 2004
The research firm Gartner estimated that 30 million adults experienced a "phishing" attack in the year ending in April 2003, and that 1.78 million of them fell for it. Source: Associated Press, October 7, 2004
Phishing has victimized some 1.8 million consumers and cost banks and credit-card issuers nearly $1.2 billion in the past year. Source: Christian Science Monitor, October 7, 2004
Spyware has surpassed viruses as the number one threat facing the computer today. In fact, most estimates report that 90 percent of computers already have been infiltrated by spyware. Source: TechNewsWorld, March 19, 2004
As it turns out, one-third of Internet users have been similarly afflicted, according to a recent survey by Consumer Reports. "Spyware, without question, is on an exponential rise over the last six months," says Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering with Symantec Security Response (SYMC), the maker of Norton security software. Microsoft (MSFT) reports that spyware was the cause of one-third of all computer crashes in the past year. Source: BusinessWeek, September 29, 2004
Tech@Work
The surge in viruses
If there is one place taking an EKG of the Net, it is the CERT Coordination Center at Carnagie-Mellon University in Pittsburg. CERT was set up in 1988 after the release of the first Internet worm brought 10 percent of the still tiny Net's computers to a halt. Since then, the group has kept track of the steadily growing threats to the Internet. In 1990 it counted 252 unique attacks to the Net. By last year that figure had grown to 82,094. Huge, but getting larger. In the first half of 2003, CERT tracked a whopping 74,000 incidents. Source: Fortune, Sept. 29, 2003
Viruses getting better and better
Collectively, different versions of the virus-like worm, alternately called "LovSan" or "Blaster," snarled corporate networks worldwide, inundating 1.2 million computers, said Oliver Friedrichs, a senior manager with Symantec Corp.
Congress' half-baked ID theft measures
Recent findings by the Federal Trade Commission confirm what many had feared: The rate of identity theft is reaching unprecedented heights. In the past five years this crime category has boomed, and it now affects more than 27 million Americans. What's more, it costs business and financial institutions almost $48 billion a year. As the incidence and financial damage of identity theft escalates, so does the public's demand that policy makers enact new laws and regulations to stop this personal crime. Source: CNET News.com, Sept. 30, 2003
eCommerce
Research firm Forrester Research Inc., projects online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, to $300 billion. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 24, 2004
The National Retail Federation predicted Wednesday that holiday sales would increase 4.5 percent over 2003, to $219.9 billion. Retail Forward, a retail consulting and market research firm in Columbus, Ohio expects a boost in online retail sales to $22 billion for the fourth quarter, up from $17.5 billion last holiday season. Source: Detroit Free Press, September 23, 2004
eMarketer predicts that U.S. online retail sales in 2005 will reach about $88 billion, up from an estimated $72 billion in 2004. Source: Entrepreneur, September 2004
More Spending More
It's never too early in the year for retailers to prepare for the upcoming holiday season, and Brand Keys predicts 50 percent of shoppers will be spending their money on the Internet - representing a 15 percent increase over 2002. That spending will translate to an average of $710.00 per person, or roughly 9 percent more than last year.
eBusiness
Seven Essential Tips to Your Success in Network Marketing that will assist you in realizing your dreams:
Train yourself, teach others second. Treat it as a business, not a hobby! Create a highly duplicable system Never Give Up If you don't know where you are going any road will lead you there! Support your Downline A Burning Desire
Source: MLM.com, October 8, 2004
Digital Imaging
Sixty-eight percent of consumers now know that their local retail stores can print photos from their digital camera, according to a recent study. The study, conducted by InfoTrends Research Group for Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., also found that only 17 percent of digital camera owners who print their images now do so a local retail stores. Source:MMR, August 9, 2004
According to InfoTrends Research Group, worldwide consumer digital camera sales will hit 53 million units this year and 82 million by 2008. Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 10, 2004.
Digital camera sales are expected to experience a compounded annual growth rate of 15 percent over the next four years, reaching 82 million units by 2008. The three leading regions for digital camera penetration are North America, Japan and Europe. The Asia Pacific region, China and the rest of the world combined, currently account for 10 percent of worldwide digital camera unit sales. By 2008 however, these regions are expected to account for 27 percent of thw worldwide digital camera market in terms of unit sales.
Digital cameras sales are expected to surpass 15 million units and $4 billion at retail in 2004. Source: Twice, September 27, 2004
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