Cybercrime – a $400 billion global industry

The security software-maker McAfee, together with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington have issued a report on Maonday, stating that the annual costs of cybercrime worldwide reach a total amount of $400 billion, in the 'best case scenario'.

The less optimistic scenario places cybercrime costs somewhere around the $575 billion sum.

The factors that had been taken into account were intellectual property and financial assets theft and indirect cybercrime damage brought to companies.

The Internet economy generates an annual venue that varies between $2 trillion and $3 trillion. Cybercrime is believed to cut 15 up to 20 percent of that generated profit.

The countries that register the highest level of cybercrime in relation to their GDP are the Netherlands and Germany at 1.5 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

The countries with the highest number of people who had their personal information stolen, in 2013 alone, are Turkey, with over 54 million people, the US with over 40 million people, China and Korea, both with more than 20 million people and Germany with 16 million.

Cybercrime can only be fought by enforcing international agreements on cybersecurity.