House of Lords report slams internet security

The internet was branded as a “playground for criminals”, in a hard hitting House of Lords report published today.

Science and Technology Committee members from the chamber also branded the world wide web as being like the “wild west”, and recommended a kite mark system for trustworthy web service providers.

The world’s largest online payments service PayPal reacted to the report by releasing its own ten-point plan for customers to improve their own security.

PayPal recommended that suspicious emails purporting to be from users’ banks be subjected to special scrutiny.

Consumers were to look out for an urgent tone, a generic greeting and links to non-secure websites – those not prefaced by ‘https’, with ’s’ standing for security – on such emails.

Cristina Hoole at the payments service said: “The security of people who use the internet and shop online must become a top priority, not just for the Government but also software vendors, if the ongoing threat of e-crime is to be culled.

“Online companies have an obligation to consumers to help them stay safe online, so they do not become the unwitting victims of e-crime. PayPal does a number of things to help its customers stay safe online, and at the heart of our own activity is consumer education.”

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Take action against anti-social behaviour

Britons are being encouraged to take measures to counter the threat of anti-social behaviour in communities around the country.

Research by insurer Zurich estimates that £1 billion of damage has been caused to properties and possessions in the last five years, with 30 million adults having been affected by such incidents.

The study reveals that a fifth of respondents have reported cases of graffiti on their properties.

Over one in ten Britons also note that front doors or walls have been vandalised, with abandoned cars also being identified as problematic.

Zurich says that two-fifths of people say they feel powerless at the hands of vandals, while over a quarter say it has impacted upon their quality of life.

Martin Hall, head of personal lines underwriting at Zurich Insurance, said: “To help minimise the impact of anti-social behaviour, we believe there are some simple changes that homeowners can make to reduce the chances of falling victim to vandals.”

Installing an effective home and car alarm system might be a good idea as well as making sure garden gates and shed doors are securely locked.

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