UK Survey: Crime Online overtake Crime in The Street

The success of ‘hacktivists’ in targeting big businesses, such as the Visa and Mastercard credit card companies in the wake of the WikiLeaks furore, has highlighted concerns about cybersecurity.

The number of Britons targeted by cybercrime is expected to overtake conventional crime for the first time next year. Internet security experts claim that up to 19million people will come under attack from hi-tech criminals, generally involved in identity theft.

A survey of UK police officers specialising in hi-tech crime found that 79 per cent have noticed a steep increase in cybercrime activity within the past six months.

Identity theft and so-called malware attacks, in which spying software is inadvertently downloaded on to a home computer, are considered among the greatest threats.

Recent studies have shown that many of the people who use wi-fi at home to access the internet do not have security in place. This means it is possible for criminals to hack into their system and steal identity details.

The survey, commissioned by web security experts Norton, found that almost one in two people now believe they are more likely to fall victim to cybercrime than conventional crime. The rise of smartphones, tablet and notebook computers is making users more vulnerable.