Social networkers risk ID theft

Internet users are putting themselves at risk by posting sensitive information on social networking websites, such as Facebook and Myspace, according a new survey.

Research released today by Get Safe online shows that one in four social networking users questioned had posted confidential personal information, such as their phone number or address, on their social networking profiles.

The organisation also found that over a tenth of social networkers surveyed had posted information or photos of other people online without their consent. This trend was most common among younger users, with just over a quarter of 18-24-year-olds admitting to sharing information about friends.

Despite their willingness to pass on other people’s details without their consent, 18-25-year-olds were found to be the most security conscious when it came to their own safety on social networking sites. Nine out of every 10 used some form of privacy setting, whereas over half those aged over 65 used nothing.

Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online, said that such behaviour was putting people at risk of identity theft. He gave an example of a woman who had her handbag stolen in a physical crime but fell victim to online ID theft when the burglars used her credit cards to find her name on a social networking site.

“Her credit card details, plus the personal information she had left on her social networking profile, was more than enough to make her a victim of identity theft,” he said.

“Your date of birth and where you live is enough for someone to set up a credit card in your name. So while most people wouldn’t give this information to a stranger in real life, they will happily post it online where people they don’t know can see it,” he added.

The research also highlighted that many people did not think their safety online was their own responsibility. A third of those questioned said that responsibility for their internet safety lay with other people, such as Internet Service Providers.

This concerned Ebay, Symantec and Microsoft, which said that more education was needed to keep people safe online.

A representative for Microsoft said: “Security is important to Microsoft, but technology is not the key thing here to keeping people safe. In the physical world you might have an alarm for your house, but it's no good if you don’t turn it on or forget to lock the door.

“It’s therefore not about selling software - it’s about partnership and about keeping people educated about risks and the importance of regularly updating their software.”

Gareth Griffin, director of Ebay agreed: “The single biggest challenge is make people responsible and stop them from giving out personal information online," he said.