By Dan Ilett, 8 August 2006 14:30
NEWS
Almost all (90 per cent) of Brits are taking measures to protect their home computers from viruses and spyware, research suggests, with the most popular security tools being antivirus and firewall software (86 per cent).
A study by the British Computer Society (BCS) found 92 per cent of online shoppers now take precautions to protect themselves against fraud.
The survey found growing public confidence in the safety of the internet, while respondents said they spend an average of £164 per month online. Fifty-two per cent make use of secure payment areas on websites.
The number of people who have purchased something online has also increased by more than two million people in the past year - up from approximately 15.2 million to 17.4 million.
BCS chief executive David Clarke said the upsurge in public confidence is because people have learnt about the dangers of the internet.
The survey also found 64 per cent of Brits have access to a computer at home, and 23 per cent have access at their place of work.
Only 30 per cent of people aged 65 or over have access to a computer at home, although this has risen from 22 per cent last year.
Comments
There is 1 comment. Join the discussion
1. Richard
Good news, but is that just the Norton software which comes "free" with many new PCs, plus the very basic "free" Windows XP firewall?
These products may be better than nothing, but any AV needs regular updates; after the initial "free" period these cost money and time.