ID theft: The cost of computer crime

According to recent reports the cost of computer crime in the UK has spiralled in the past two years.

Which, the consumers champion, reports that 1 in 10 of the UK population has sufferred ID theft.

Typical incidents of ID theft involve the loss of £10,000! No laughing matter. What do you need to protect your ID online?

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We associate theft with property and goods. However, identity theft (or ID theft) is a crime of that can happen in a variety of ways. All of us, as consumers, need to be aware of how this happens and how we can avoid the pitfalls.

Is your PC used by your children or their friends when you are not there?

Can you be sure that a perfectly innocent download might not have infected your PC with online ID theft malware?

Whether it's called ID theft, phishing or skimming - it's fraud. The increasing use of electronic systems in day-to-day life has vastly extended the scope of these frauds and the potential profits they can reap for online criminals.

What to do?

The simplest way to beat the fraudsters is to take precautions and employ common sense:

• Remember to update your anti-virus and internet security definitions daily.
• If you use the Opera or Firefox web browsers, security updates will be flagged. If using Internet Explorer, visit www.windowsupdate.com regularly if you do not receive automatic updates.
• Phishing attacks, and other forms of scamming, require users to think before they act. The golden rule with email is that no reputable company will ask you to confirm details by email.
• Similarly if you receive a phone call asking for personal information take the caller's number and then call them back via the main switchboard number.
• Many companies still send out emails containing links to their websites - don't click on them. If you want to visit a website, type in the address yourself.

The security of personal information is primarily the responsibility of the individual and the bulk of identity theft occurs because we get complacent and let down our guard. Tiscali SpyGuard in conjunction with Norton Security 2009 can help.

Tiscali SpyGuard is an always-on, real time analysis tool which scans your PC for malware and keyloggers to protect your ID against online threats.

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The new threats

Keylogging
Perhaps the most dangerous method of ID theft used online. It works by installing software on your PC which records every keystroke made on the computer, including your log-in, address and credit card details.

This type of software is typically spread through dodgy downloads.

Phishing
Setting up a plausible looking website which claim to be an online business is a favourite technique used by fraudsters.

Visitors to phishing sites are encouraged to input personal information, usually after receiving an email requesting they confirm log-in details or check the status of an order.

Phishing emails are typically sent out to millions of addresses and usually contain warnings that action must be taken immediately in order to frighten the recipient into acting without thinking.

Web hosting companies often shut these websites down very quickly but in the window of opportunity between detection and action they can harvest thousands of account details. Online banks have been targetted as have eBay and PayPal.

Pharming
Even harder to detect, this type of fraud involves criminals using computer security holes to reprogram computers that allocate the addresses for all web pages so even if you key in the correct web address, your web browser may be directed to a bogus site.

The only way to foil this is to have adquate layers of security to keep your PC and your ID safe.

• Get 50% off Norton Security 2009