Watch your back online: Raleigh ranks No. 5 in a new list of the nation's cities most vulnerable to cybercrime.
The ranking by Symantec, which sells Norton and other security software, and Sperling's Best Places, was based on factors such as the number of cyberattacks and wireless Internet hotspots, Internet usage, and online shopping behavior.
Seattle was No. 1, followed by Boston, Washington and San Francisco. Charlotte was No. 12.
Raleigh had the third-highest percentage of people who use the Internet at least once a day (47 percent). Raleigh residents are comfortable using the Internet for financial transactions, with 22 percent using it to pay bills and 29.3 percent using it to make purchases from online shopping sites. Those percentages were both higher than the national averages.
Earlier this month, Forbes ranked Raleigh as the nation's "Most Wired City," based on factors such as broadband penetration and access.
Read the full Symantec report online here.
Assistant Business Editor Alan M. Wolf joined the N&O in 1999 covering the business of health care. He became an editor in 2001, and helps oversee the paper's daily business coverage and Sunday Work&Money section. He lives in Clayton with his wife and two children. Reach him at 919-829-4572 or