Broadband High Speed Internet Access Service

Brits' online security precautions 'insufficient', says AOL

Awareness of threats higher than ever, but users are not doing enough to protect themselves; Brits largely ignorant of biggest Internet threats; Northern England is highest UK growth area for Internet access

British consumers' awareness of Internet security may be higher than ever, but most still don't do enough to protect themselves online, a study by AOL UK1 has found.
Understanding of Internet security terms such as 'phishing', 'trojan' 'virus' and 'spyware', has increased over the past 12 months. For the first time, a majority of those surveyed claimed to know most terms presented to them.

Yet, even though 86 per cent say they are concerned about Internet security - and with online identity fraud costing consumers 12m a year2 - AOL UK found less than half of Brits (48%) actually use any specialist protective software. A further 20 per cent just rely on their ISP to protect them and 16 per cent do nothing at all to protect themselves online.

According to AOL UK security expert, Will Smith, the findings highlight the gulf between awareness and action: "It's good to see a shift in awareness, but it's taking action that will really make a difference. There's no point knowing what the threats are if you then do nothing about them.

"People need to think of their online personal security the same way they do out on the high street."

There is also concern in where this knowledge lies. AOL found the most commonly understood Internet security term is 'virus' (76%), while the least known is 'phishing' (18%). Phishing is the act of falsifying the identity of a known brand or organisation to steal personal details and is actually one of the biggest threats to personal online security. 70 per cent had no idea what the term meant, while only 60 per cent of those who said they did went on to define it correctly.

Said Will Smith: "This is a problem because the penetration of the Internet is outpacing proper understanding of the potential security dangers."

AOL recommends the following five steps to improve personal online security:

1. Make the most of spam controls to reduce the number of junk emails you receive.
2. Use firewall protection, which acts as a protective barrier between your computer and the Internet.
3. Take advantage of anti-virus software that scans your entire computer to help guard against viruses, trojans and other invaders.
4. Use anti-spyware tools to help speed up your computer and protect your privacy.
5. Avoid phishing and other online scams by thinking before you click on any links and never giving out your personal details to unknown sources online.

The AOL UK study also found the number of Internet users has risen again, to 70 per cent of respondents, up from 65 per cent a year ago. Internet access remains most prevalent in South East England (72%, no change vs. 2005), while the area of highest growth is Northern England3, jumping from 60 per cent to 71 per cent of respondents.

An AOL UK spokesperson will be available for ISDN interviews. Please call Philip Hale on 020 7348 4614 to arrange.

AOL ISDN number for broadcast interviews: 020 7348 8012.

Notes to Editors:
AOL is the leading online interactive services provider to the UK, with more than 2.3 million members, including more than one million on AOL Broadband. AOL offers a range of services in the UK, including dial-up, broadband and voice, as well as unrivalled content and community for all the family.

Members spend more than one hour a day online on average, enjoying access to more than 20 channels of online content, from Entertainment and News to Parenting, Shopping and Money, as well as email and the Internet.

The AOL branded online interactive services and AOL Talk are supplied to UK subscribers by AOL Europe Services SARL, a company in the AOL group based in Luxembourg. Both companies are part of AOL Europe, a business unit of America Online Inc., which is the world's leading interactive services company with more than 26 million members worldwide.

America Online Inc. is a division of Time Warner Inc., a leading media and entertainment company, with businesses including interactive services, cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks and publishing.

Source: AOL

[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]