Social networks are "lucrative hot beds" for cyber scams as crooks endeavor to dupe users online, a Microsoft security report revealed on Thursday.

Computer security firm Symantec on Wednesday reported that about two-thirds of the world's internet users have fallen victim to cybercrime.

Cyber attacks slowing US and South Korean websites could enter a new phase on Friday by attacking personal computers

Some South Korean and United States internet sites were down or slowed to a crawl for a third day on Thursday after attacks by a hacker.

Cybercrime is rapidly spreading on Facebook as hackers prey on users who think the world's top social networking site is a safe haven on the internet.

The government has identified at least 27 cases where a syndicate has swindled more than R199-million from government departments in four provinces over the past three years -- using cyber-spyware.