Roll on Digital Britain – as long as we all get educated to the risks

Later this week the UK Government is set to unveil the Digital Britain Report and at least according to some reports, at the heart of it will be a commitment to put broadband at the centre of British life, ensuring that by 2012 everyone in the country will have access to high-speed broadband services.

This is a tremendously exciting move and recognition of how the Internet has become part of most people’s everyday home and work experiences. How did we ever manage without email; online shopping and online banking? Next up we will likely think the same about how did we manage without online movies and television and who knows what else.

Of course there is one industry which has already exploited the huge potential of the Internet and is already actively making money out of the worldwide web – the Cybercrime Underworld. Organised crime has already seen the huge potential the web brings to bring together teams of experts to spread malware; buy and sell software exploits; and ultimately run a whole underground exchange for stolen credit cards and personal identities.

If we are to benefit from a wider rollout of broadband in Britain, it is vital this is matched by increased education and awareness of the risks of using the internet.

So while everyone will welcome the commitment to a wider broadband Britain, it is vital we all work harder to educate users about the risks of using the internet. No one in this day and age would ever leave home with their doors and windows left unlocked, and so equally we have to have the same security focus and awareness of the risks while using the internet. We’ve all got to ensure we have reliable and up-to-date security software on our computers, that we patch the operating system when new updates are issued, and that we make ourselves aware of the threats and scams out there. In effect that we lock the doors to our computers.

By doing that we can all enjoy the benefits a Digital Britain brings us.

Dominic Cook

June 16, 2009 | Filed Under Phishing, Spam, cyber-crime, security 

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