Minister warns of dangers of computer scams

Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan has warned internet users to be vigilant after he was almost taken in by an online scam.

At the launch of a €1 million awareness campaign about internet security, Mr Ryan said that last week he was "half-way" to entering his bank details in response to an e-mail request before he realised he was dealing with fraudsters.

"If you work with computers you'll see these types of messages all the time," he said. "It was totally plausible. These messages are getting more sophisticated and more credible."

Mr Ryan said his case illustrated the threat posed to internet users by criminals who have moved beyond the "Nigerian letter" scam, where western businesses are induced to send advance fees to secure a massive fictitious profit on an African deal. They are now employing techniques that include accurately mimicking the websites of well-known financial institutions.

The Minister has advised internet users never to hand over their bank details in response to an e-mail and to contact their financial institution if they are unsure.

New research has shown that the average home computer with internet access is attacked almost 300 times a day, while a third of all internet shoppers have been exposed to online threats, which included spam, spyware and stealing credit card details.

Research has shown that despite the threat, a third of internet users do not know what phishing is. Phishing involves ruses to obtain people's credit or debit card details or account data.

A similar number of people did not know about spyware (computer software that is installed surreptitiously to monitor and influence internet use), while only a tiny number of people are aware of pharming, a particularly dangerous form of phishing where hackers direct people to legitimate sites such as banks, but users are then redirected and their details are stolen.

The makeITsecure campaign 2008 is an update to two previous campaigns that have run since 2004 and is a cross-Border initiative for the first time. It has been updated to include data on social networking following the success of sites such as Bebo and Facebook, now the most popular sites with teenagers, and also detailed data on how not to be "phished".

A booklet with IT security information and advice will be distributed to more than 900,000 users in the country by newspaper insert, while there will be extensive TV and radio advertising over the next fortnight.

The Government is hosting an international conference on February 22nd, which will include contributions from John Carr, an international expert on social networking, and Dr Rachel O'Connell, the safety officer of the social networking site, Bebo.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times