OTTAWA - A computer, a modem and a mouse have become the cops' worst enemy.
Cyber crooks are robbing Canadians, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Monday during the launch of a month-long awareness campaign to educate people about the lurking and growing digital threat to computers, cellphones and other mobile devices.
While exact numbers are hard to come by, Internet fraud, stolen identities and pilfered bank accounts cost billions per year as more people depend on digital devices to bank, shop and access goavernment services, police say.
To combat the alarming rise in online crime, the government plans to air commercials with tips on securing passwords and which encourage people to delete e-mails that appear too good to be true, including those that land in inboxes saying you've won a lottery.
A new website called GetCyberSafe.ca will offer tips to update anti-virus software, use secure wireless networks and learn to recognize and ignore Internet scams.
The site will also include information from the RCMP, CSIS and others on the latest threats as cyber crooks increasingly exploit personal, business and government servers.
"It is being used by organized crime groups who engage in identity theft, money laundering and extortion," said Toews, who noted a recent CSIS report said cyber attacks represent one of the biggest threats facing Canada.
The campaign comes just as the government is beefing up its own computer systems after Treasury Board and the finance department were hacked earlier this year.
Canada is ranked sixth in the world as a source for cyber crime, up from 13th in 2010, says Websense Inc., a cyber security firm.
Cyber crooks are robbing Canadians, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Monday during the launch of a month-long awareness campaign to educate people about the lurking and growing digital threat to computers, cellphones and other mobile devices.
While exact numbers are hard to come by, Internet fraud, stolen identities and pilfered bank accounts cost billions per year as more people depend on digital devices to bank, shop and access goavernment services, police say.
To combat the alarming rise in online crime, the government plans to air commercials with tips on securing passwords and which encourage people to delete e-mails that appear too good to be true, including those that land in inboxes saying you've won a lottery.
A new website called GetCyberSafe.ca will offer tips to update anti-virus software, use secure wireless networks and learn to recognize and ignore Internet scams.
The site will also include information from the RCMP, CSIS and others on the latest threats as cyber crooks increasingly exploit personal, business and government servers.
"It is being used by organized crime groups who engage in identity theft, money laundering and extortion," said Toews, who noted a recent CSIS report said cyber attacks represent one of the biggest threats facing Canada.
The campaign comes just as the government is beefing up its own computer systems after Treasury Board and the finance department were hacked earlier this year.
Canada is ranked sixth in the world as a source for cyber crime, up from 13th in 2010, says Websense Inc., a cyber security firm.