Internet fraud report highlights user ignorance

The release yesterday of Get Safe Online's report in to the scale of interent fraud has highlighted some worrying figures for individuals and businesses alike.

The Internet Safety: The State of the Nation study found that one in ten people in Britain had experienced online fraud in the past year.

Perhaps more worrying was the attitude of many people towards their online safety, with just 48 per cent of respondents stating that they were responsible for ensuring they are not attacked by internet fraudsters.

In addition, one in six claimed that their banks were wholly responsible for their online protection, with another 13 per cent stating that that was the responsibility of their service provider.

"We need users to take the same basic precautions in using the internet as they would when making transactions in the high street – such as not sharing your bank details or passwords," remarked Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister with responsibility for transformational government.

Around 17 per cent of users have no antivirus software, the study found, while of those that did, a fifth had not updated their software in the past month.

Although educating staff is a good step forward in securing against online fraud for businesses, owners may also wish to enlist the help of an external IT support firm.


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