UK e-fraud victims lose £875 each, on average

ONE IN TEN of us on the web in Blighty has been a victim of e-fraud over the last year, according to a new report published today released by the government.

An average of £875 per person was lost of the 3.5 million people plagued by internet fraud last year, says the research, many of which had - surprise - not taken basic precautions such as firewalling their computers or keeping anti-virus software up to date.

Less than half of the 2,441 people questioned for the survey believed that they were responsible for their own security online, instead blaming internet banking or not-so-secure online stores. However, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden reckons that it's urgent that web users wake up and realise that they are responsible for their own e-safety.

"As we make more services available online we need users to take the same basic precautions in using the internet as they would when making transactions in the high street," Pat said.

The survey unearthed some shocking statistics: a quarter of people admitted to not owning any anti-spam software, one in five had replied to spam, and 46 per cent of those questioned did not have any anti-spyware software.

Thirteen per cent of users did not use a firewall, though only seven per cent were without any anti-virus software. A quick search with any wi-fi enabled computer shows a shocking amount of unsecured networks, too, with 12 per cent of users saying that their connection had no password protection at all.

Basically, the report confirms what most of us geeks know already - keep your computer secure, use different passwords, and don't be stupid. For those of you concerned about evil hackers weasling their nefarious ways into your 'puter, check out the official UK Get Safe Online website here, offering tips and advice on internet security. µ