Ever wondered how much your online identity is worth to a cyber criminal? A new tool from Symantec Corp. will perform the calculation for you.

The Norton Online Risk Calculator, unveiled within a microsite to coincide with the launch of Norton 2010, calculates your net worth on the black market by asking a few questions about your personal Internet use.

It takes a few minutes to answer the questions, after which you get three results: how much your online assets are worth, how much your online identity would sell for on the black market, and your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

The main point isn’t to promote software or instill fear, but to spread awareness on cyber crime, said Marian Merritt, Internet security advocate for Symantec.

IT pros can use the consumer-oriented tool to educate employees in their office, as well as advocate Internet security to their family and friends. “IT is in that unique position of bridging both worlds,” said Merritt.

It’s unlikely the average consumer would read an Internet Security Threat Report, she added, but a simply illustrated example might get the same point across. “It’s shocking how little value criminals place on your credit card,” she said.

IT pros themselves might also benefit from a refresher on cyber crime. “Sometimes those who think they know the most can be even more at risk than others who admit they don’t know much and therefore are very cautious,” said Merritt.

Even those who consider themselves experts in IT tend to take shortcuts when it comes to online security because they think they aren’t at risk, their information isn’t really that valuable or they don’t realize how much work it takes to recover a stolen identity, she explained.
“Every four and a half minutes, a crime is committed on the streets of Los Angeles. Every three minutes, a crime is committed on the streets of Washington, D.C. In New York, a crime is committed every two minutes … every three seconds, a crime is committed on the net,”

Tags: cyber criminal, indentity theft, information security, online identity is worth