Users Making Opening Online Accounts To Identify Thefts

In a recent study, Kaspersky Lab has brought forth the issue of selecting proper passwords for multiple online accounts. It particularly points how people who rely on one password for a range of accounts and sites are inviting identity thefts.

The latest survey carried out by Kaspersky Lab recognized that 62% of personal computer users have upto ten online accounts which need passwords. 23% users have over 20 password-protected accounts. But the shocking truth is over 51% users use from one to four passwords only to access their accounts. 30% users of PC have around 5 to 10 passwords and a mere 9% use 20 distinct passwords to access their 20 distinct accounts, as reported on March 8, 2007 by securitypark.co.uk.

This has come at the time when the recent report by Gartner points that identity theft has jumped 50% over the previous year in US. In UK, identity thefts are making the UK economy poorer by £1.7 billion ($3.28 billion) every year, says statistics by Home Office. Around 15 million users in the country have fall victim to identity frauds in 12 months.

The study conducted on 5,000 adults in US found that average loss per person was £1,692 ($3,257) in 2006, a rise from £731 ($1,408) in 2005. pcpro.co.uk reported Avivah Litan, Vice President and analyst, Gartner, on March 7, 2007 saying that the cyber crooks are exploiting non-regulated systems of money transfer, capability to masquerade sweepstake and lottery contests, Internet auctions, and other sorts of imaginative swindles.

The picture of threat today has changed from that of some years ago, said Kaspersky Lab's senior technology consultant, David Emm, as reported on March 8, 2007 by securitypark.co.uk. He added that malware is written to go unnoticed so that it can victimize users and glean their personal details to be exploited for criminal activities.

Hacker combine this with personal data garnered from some social networking Website and he could access the online bank and credit card accounts, or social security numbers, said Emm.

Emm also added that users reveal their personal details freely on social networking Websites designed to be employed as unique identifiers - mother's first name, pet name, car registration number, or nickname.

Related article: Users Become Scapegoats To Web Ad Malware Exploit

» SPAMfighter News - 3/23/2007