A new study says cybercrime costs the global economy almost half-a-trillion dollars a year.

The study, co-sponsored by security software company McAfee, says losses to the United States, China, Japan and Germany totaled 200-billion dollars in 2013. Losses from personal-data thefts cost as much as 160-billion a year.

The report also notes that online crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and ranks with drug trafficking in terms of global economic harm.  (Metro Networks Inc.)

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