March 17, 2021 6 min read Opinions expressed by
Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Cybercrime got its start in the 1970s, through criminals who impersonated phone operators and exploited computerized phone systems to steal long-distance telephone time. Since then, especially with personal computers, the Internet, and smart mobile devices in the mix, hacking became much more sophisticated. Cybercrime quickly evolved into a billion-dollar illegal industry, and an industry that doesn t discriminate in pursuit of its victims.
From government institutions to companies of all sizes, to regular people of all ages on their mobile devices, anyone and everyone can easily become a target. Most average people and small businesses feel as though they’re not at risk of hacking, under the assumption that hackers only target big wigs and conglomerates. Surprisingly enough however, 43 percent of cybercrimes target individuals and small businesses. Th