There are many reasons to be thankful for the existence of the internet. Without Tim Berners-Lee’s creation there would be no BBC iPlayer, no Google and… no place to share cat photos. But what about all the scams?
As the web has matured to accommodate 1.2bn Facebook accounts and £68.2bn in online UK spending, there are more and more dangers to be aware of.
You need to be careful who you’re giving your bank account details to, where you share your personal data and what websites to hide from prying eyes.
Your cybercrime comments
There were an estimated 12.5 million victims of cybercrime in the UK last year, costing the economy £1.8bn. And many of those who’ve been scammed have shared their experiences here on Which? Convo. Mose told us how he’s been unlucky:
‘In less than ten years I’ve had my credit card used three times. The last time was only a couple of months ago. I’m always careful online, I have good antivirus, good firewall, all passwords are very secure, I don’t keep cookies and all my software and games are legit. I have come to the conclusion that one can only be so safe. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky.’
Dyfnwal discovered his personal data online:
‘Recently, by Googling my mobile number, I discovered my full card details published in a text file that had been “dumped” from a Russian web site.’
Ask your online security questions
We’ve got lots of guides on our Consumer Rights website to help protect yourself online, from phishing emails to all sorts of sophisticated online scams. But sometimes you need a personal touch, which is why we’ve invited Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, to answer your burning security questions on next week’s Which? Technology podcast.
A government-funded security service to help protect internet-connected devices from malicious attack, Get Safe Online is perfectly placed to offer some sound internet-related advice to set your mind at ease.
Got a question for Get Safe Online, such as ‘how to safely send money online’ or ‘how to protect your passwords’? Just ask it in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer as many as possible when the podcast airs on 8 October.