Four out of every five small and medium-sized companies in the world suffer from counterfeits and brand abuse on the Internet. These illicit products are advertised and sold through digital marketplaces, social networks and rogue sites (websites that imitate that of the official brand itself).
Cybercriminals have put a new focus on their criminal activities on the Internet and the trend now is to focus on SMBs that are usually more vulnerable than large companies. The sectors which are most susceptible to such infringements are listed in order as follows, fashion, sports, electronics, homeware, toys and beauty and personal care.
These are the main conclusions of a study, conducted by Smart Protection, a cybersecurity company that reduces the impact that piracy and counterfeiting have on its clients´ content and brands. This study, Impact of online counterfeits in SMBs 2021, highlights the vulnerable situation of small and medium sized companies on the Internet.