A group of MPs has issued a warning that the UK is fighting a battle against cyber crime that it is currently losing.
The Home Affairs Select Committee announced recently that the UK is the top target for cyber criminals from 25 countries, but it is still not doing nearly enough to counter internet crime.
Why is this? One of the reasons cited by the MPs was that the victims are hidden away and are therefore simply harder to see. However, the crimes are just as serious and it is clear that more needs to be done.
Keith Vaz was the chair of the committee. He said the threat was so serious that it is put down as a “higher threat than a nuclear attack”. He also suggested that criminals could steal more through illicit online activities than they could do by robbing a bank.
The MPs called for more funds to be allocated to online security to counter problems such as ID theft and credit card fraud. They also called for longer sentences for criminals and better police training so that they are better able to catch the criminals.
Part of the solution is surely better education of the public. You can also do more to protect yourself by taking some simple measures and sticking to basic online safety rules. These include things like using updated antivirus software whenever you are online, creating strong passwords for all of your online accounts, never opening attachments from emails that you do not recognise, always being cautious when downloading anything online, and being very careful about people you meet online via social networking or online dating sites.
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