The quick facts listed below concerning online security and identity theft, show that not all internet sites are as safe as we would like them to be. If they are not protected by industry standard security protocols, you me become a victim, and a statistic.
As use of the internet has grown, the web has also become more popular with scammers, identity thieves, and other cybercriminals. Threats to internet users have become widespread, and it is estimated that more than 3.5 million people fall victim to “phishing”— a type of online identity theft—each year in the United States alone. 1
Given the number of people who experience phishing and other web-based scams or hear about them from friends, family, or on the news—many internet users don’t feel comfortable sharing their real names or other personal details online. In fact, recent research indicates that more than 62 percent of internet users in the United States are concerned about their online security. 2
NOTES:
1. ZDNet.com, “Gartner puts phishing tab at 3.2 billion”: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/gartner-puts-phishing-tab-at-32-billion/755
2. Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, March 2009 on behalf of Microsoft and NCSA
