Is your ID safe online? Cyber crime costs UK £27bn

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Posted by BT Life Newsdesk

February 21st 2011 at 16:00

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Safety and security

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With almost every aspect of our lives now supported in some way by computer technology, the government has revealed the findings of its research into cyber crime – the illegal ways criminals make money using the internet and other electronic devices.

The report reveals that UK consumers and businesses are facing rising levels of cyber attacks.

Identity theft – where a criminal uses various means to obtain a person’s personal details in order to obtain credit in their name – was found to be among the most common forms of cyber crime affecting UK consumers to the tune of £1.7 billion per year.

The report offers this advice for people who use the internet for things like managing accounts, email, banking or shopping:

“Citizens can help themselves to reduce the impact of cyber crime by ensuring that they take a number of sensible precautions to stay safe online, such as installing a firewall, regularly patching or updating software applications and using legitimate anti-virus software.

They can also take out specialist insurance to protect against the impact of identity theft. No defences are foolproof, though, and even well-prepared citizens may suffer a range of costs as a consequence of and in responding to cyber crime.”

The full report from the Office of Cyber Security & Information Assurance is available for download. Read more in our staying safe online blog.

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