UK doesn’t appreciate need for internet security

Identity theft is a major concern for UK residents, but many do not understand the huge effect that internet security could have.

This was one of the findings of the Unisys Security Index, which showed that while ID theft was the biggest concern of UK respondents 87 per cent named this as their leading worry internet security was the smallest.

"There's an interesting paradox here. While the UK public are rightly concerned about identity theft, they don't yet appreciate how their internet footprint can be used against them," said Neil Fisher, vice president of global security solutions at Unisys, in a statement.

"This failure to connect the dots leaves them even more vulnerable to ever-sophisticated cyber criminals. People shouldn't forget that every time they update their profiles on Facebook or enter their bank details online, they could be giving away vital information. Precautions must be taken every step of the way."

Despite their ID concerns, UK residents were willing to give up personal privacy in an attempt to increase security for the nation, the research discovered.

The majority of respondents 91 per cent were willing to give up biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scans when it came to travelling via air and 90 per cent higher than any other nation surveyed were also willing to use the recently launched full-body scanners, despite the controversy surrounding their introduction.

"With the British Airports Authority (BAA) also reporting positive responses to the full body scanners, it appears that the early controversy surrounding the technology has died down and people are taking a pragmatic approach to their safety," added Fisher.

"The question is has the country done enough to subvert another terrorist plot? What we have done so far is react to threats as they occur, rather than take a holistic view of the threat."

The survey is conducted twice a year by Unisys, questioning more than 10,000 people from 11 countries.