"They are data thieves, specializing in certain specific skills," he said. "They have an operational team. They develop spear phishing campaigns. They also sell the data on the black market on the Dark Net."

They use data mining and capitalize on current events and trends, and consumers are no longer just at risk of unknowingly handing over personal details – this year, they face a higher risk of threats like ransomware. In this case, cybercriminals use encryption as a weapon to hold critical data hostage.

"Ransomware is still the simplest, easiest way for cybercriminals to take advantage of consumers because it is an easy way for them to extort money," Choudhary noted.

Crypto-malware, which is currently used in ransomware, includes CryptoWall, Locky, Cerber, TorrentLocker and TeslaCrypt. Security researchers also recently discovered a Javascript-code strain, named RAA, which starts encrypting files immediately after they're opened.

The VIPRE antivirus team at ThreatTrack provided five key threats to look out for this summer.

1. Political posts about the 2016 elections and party conventions.

Voters who search insatiably for news and information about the candidates are at risk.

"There are a lot of people soliciting and canvassing," Choudhary warned.

That gives cybercriminals something to capitalize on. They often use spam, malvertising and spoofed websites to plant viruses and malware. Be wary and check URLs before clicking on any links.

2. Phishing emails focused on travel and vacations.

Be extra vigilant about emails and links while on the road or when planning a trip. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, fraudsters made $1.3 billion last year through online hotel scams. Watch out for emails promising some kind of super discount and double check that website. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do not open unknown emails or divulge sensitive information before verifying the legitimacy of the organization, person or website.

3. Scams related to the Zika virus and other health concerns.

The Zika virus is only going to get more attention as the Olympics, scheduled for Aug. 5 to 21 in Brazil – the epicenter of Zika fears – gets closer. The Securities and Exchange Commission, for instance, recently issued an alert warning about Zika investment scams. In February, Symantec discovered an email purporting to be from a health and wellness website in Brazil. One of the links within the email contained a form of JS.Downloader malware.

4. Major sporting and entertainment event schemes.

The Summer Olympics, the baseball All-Star game, the opening of NFL training camps and summer blockbuster movies could be used as a front for malicious campaigns. Watch for unsolicited emails and pop-up websites offering discounted tickets or other products and services. The number of events that occur over the summer provide the perfect opportunity for cybercriminals to target online users. Be cautious before clicking on a link, banner ad or attachment.

5. Attacks targeting kids on summer vacation.

Children who are home from school, sometimes unsupervised, tend to spend a lot of time on their electronic devices during the summer months. Unless parents take precautions, children might find applications and other types of files to download that may not be safe or appropriate. Installing a good parental control program helps minimize the vulnerability of all other devices used on the home network, a potential gateway for a home or business attack.