Fear of internet crime is on the increase, according to Get Safe Onlines second annual report. The report reveals 21 per cent of people think e-crime is the type of crime they are most likely to encounter, up from 17 per cent last year, and they fear it more than mugging, car theft and burglary.
The new research suggests growing fear of internet crime is deterring the public from using the internet for everyday activities. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) are too concerned to bank online, nearly a fifth (18 per cent) wont shop online and one in six (17 per cent) are so concerned they have been put off logging on all together.
A recent survey by Kaspersky labs shows that among PC-literate home PC users 63 per cent believe that spyware is responsible for compromising the security of more protected home PCs than any other form of malware and that 26 per cent of respondents had experienced a security breach on their PC in the last 12 months. This is a cause for concern since the survey was of people who are already security aware (and already using a security product), so the real breach figure may be far higher.
According to the UK survey nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of those questioned said they needed more information to arm themselves against online threats and 40 per cent are still not sure where to seek advice.
The Get Safe Online campaign, which is now in its second year, is the UKs first national internet security awareness campaign. A joint initiative between the government, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and private sector sponsors from the worlds of technology, retail and finance, the campaign continue to raise awareness.
[The campaign's web site gives good introductory information and advice about how to secure home and company computers. Most anti-virus companies and many other sites publish similar information, e.g. Staying Safe Online at the Kaspersky site, so why the government wants to duplicate this already more than adequate effort at considerable cost to the tax payer is a question which begs an answer! --Ed].
Related links: (Open in a new window.)
www.getsafeonline.org
www.kaspersky.co.uk/safeonline
Taken from Information Security Bulletin.