On Wednesday 30 May UNSW Alumni and friends attended the second BrainFood Lecture for 2012. They heard from an expert panel that they may well be the next victim of Cybercrime. The cost to the world economy in 2011 was $9 billion and Australians are increasingly targets. Speakers warned that one of the biggest problems we face is Australians have been slow to respond to the new cyber realities.

Ken Gamble, Executive Chairman of the Internet Fraud Watchdog, told the audience that it was very important for everyone to understand the implications of what is occurring and to ensure their online information is secure and protected. He said the problem in Australia has reached “epidemic proportions” and parents need to make sure their children are educated about cyber security.

Other speakers included Mike Taylor, Chief Executive, Money Management who shared a victim story from a business perspective and Detective Inspector, Bruce van der Graaf from the NSW Police Fraud and Cybercrime Squad who spoke of the losses from victims whose credit card details have been sold on the black market.

The panel was chaired by Alarna Maurushat from UNSW’s Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre who said it was one of the most complex problems we’ve faced in the past 200 years and there is no easy solution.