Beware of cybercriminals – they can now catch you at your most vulnerable. Kaspersky Lab has recently shown that cybercriminals have a new weapon to attack your privacy. You can now hijack your mobile device’s camera and invite yourself into your most private moments.

Statistics show that 90% of the UK population is equipped with a smartphone and only a third of the population is aware of the damage and threat posed by cyber criminals. The modus operandi of cyber criminals is to send you poisonous software which they then use to take over your device. Now with all the unauthorised access, cybercriminals can steal your private and saved photos and take them in their own way. As well as taking photos of you in compromising positions, cybercriminals can also help take photos of credit cards, kids playing with their phones nearby and undressing.

Criminal communities share strategies and tools, and can combine forces to launch coordinated attacks. They even have an underground marketplace where cybercriminals can buy and sell stolen information and identities.

Some identity thieves target organisations that store people’s personal information, such as schools or credit card companies. But most cybercriminals will target home computers rather than try to break into the networks of large organisations because it’s easier to do so.

To deal with it, you should be careful with your computer and mobile phone, install security software or use a WiFi jammer to block WiFi or mobile phone signals.

When you take steps to protect your own computer and protect your personal information, you can not only prevent cyber criminals from stealing your identity, but also protect others by preventing your computer from becoming part of a botnet.