The government, the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit and a group
of private sector sponsors have launch a campaign to raise public
awareness of internet security.
The Get Safe Online campaign informs that public that millions
of UK Internet users are putting themselves at risk of attack from
online criminals because they do not understand threats to their
computer or the ways to protect against them.
New research conducted for the campaign has found that 83% of
people in the UK do not know enough about protecting themselves
online. Forty two per cent rely on friends and family for online
safety advice rather than finding expert information.
The report says the online retail economy is worth £10 billion a
year and 14 million people use online banking. To help the public
educate themselves, the campaign will raise public provide
solutions through a new website:
www.getsafeonline.org.
The website is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information
about online safety, to give home users and small businesses the
advice they need to use the Internet safely.
The campaign is sponsored by BT, Dell, eBay, HSBC, Lloyds TSB,
Microsoft, MessageLabs, securetrading.com and Yell.com.