Is
Cyber Crime Serious?
Cybercrime affected more
than half those surveyed, yet fewer than a third said they had reported it.
Many Britons have been the victim
of a cyber crime such as identity theft, hacking or abuse on social media, new
research has found. UK losses from online fraud are now running at more than
£670m a year, though with many cases going unreported, the true economic cost
is likely to be significantly higher.
The data – which follows the
outcry over private photos of celebrities published by hackers – was produced
to coincide with Get Safe Online Week, which runs until 26 October and is
aimed at raising awareness of internet security issues.
Just over half (51%) of the 2,075
people surveyed said they had been a victim of online crime, a category which
includes internet-based fraud, ID theft, hacking and online abuse. Of those,
50% said they felt either very or extremely violated by their ordeal, according
to Get Safe Online, an internet security awareness initiative that is a joint
partnership between the government, the National Crime Agency, the telecoms
regulator Ofcom, law enforcement bodies and a number of major companies
including Barclays and PayPal.
However, fewer than a third (32%)
of the cybercrime victims said they had reported the incident. Around half
(47%) of those affected did not know who to report an online crime to, though a
spokesman for the initiative said this figure was expected to fall as a result
of the ongoing work of Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting
center, and the “considerable government resources” now dedicated to fighting
cybercrime.
On a more positive note, those
who had suffered some form of cybercrime said the experience had shocked them
into changing their behavior for the better, with almost half (45%) opting for
stronger passwords and 42% saying they were now more vigilant when shopping
online.
Separate figures from the
National Fraud Intelligence Bureau showed that for the UK as a whole, more than
£670m was lost to the 10 most common online frauds between 1 September 2013 and
31 August 2014.
Tony Neate, chief executive of
Get Safe Online, said: “Our research shows just how serious a toll cybercrime
can take, both on the wallet and on wellbeing, and this has been no more
apparent than in the last few weeks, with various large-scale personal photo
hacks of celebrities and the general public. Unfortunately, this is becoming
more common now that we live more of our lives online.”
He added: “Get Safe Online Week
this year is all about ‘Don’t be a victim’, and we can all take simple steps to
protect ourselves, including putting a password on your computer or mobile
device, never clicking on a link sent by a stranger, using strong passwords and
always logging off from an account or website when you are finished. The more
the public do this, and together with better conviction rates, the more
criminals won’t be able to hide behind a cloak of anonymity.”
If you think you have been a victim of cyber-enabled economic
fraud (where you have lost money), report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300
123 20 40 or visiting actionfraud.police.uk. If you are a victim of online
abuse or harassment, report it to your local police force. For general advice
on how to stay safe online go to getsafeonline.org.
Reference:
brilliant post! your efforts are much appreciated, and hopefully alot will read these amazing and informative posts . keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletesara bahagari