McAfee recently conducted a study that found over $1 trillion was lost in 2008 from data theft and other cyber crimes. Data theft has been on the rise lately due to the economic downturn, and the situation is predicted to only get worse. Unlike traditional “nuisance” viruses of the past, the McAfee study showed that 80 percent of today’s malware is aimed at making a financial gain.

The good news is the main targets of today’s cyber crimes are larger corporations, with many attacks coming from current or past employees. However, malware aimed at individual users is still on the rise, and steps need to be taken to protect your own personal information. Check out SoftwareMedia’s Internet Security Guide to learn about viruses, phishing and spyware, and how you can make sure you’re protected.