ID fraud tops list of UK security concerns

ID fraud and information theft from mobile phones top the list of security concerns in the UK, according to a Unisys report.

More than three-quarters (86 percent) of almost 1,000 Britons polled in Unisys's Security Index are worried about unauthorised access or misuse of their personal information.

Computer security is less of a priority in the UK, the index found, with only a third of respondents saying they are very concerned about viruses and spam, and 38 percent saying they are not concerned at all.

Confidence is also growing in the security of online shopping, particularly among the over-54 age group, with only 33 percent of respondents very concerned about the security of transactions.

However, the UK remains unconvinced about using mobiles to pay bills or shop online, with 80 percent of respondents unwilling to use a mobile or personal organiser to conduct financial transactions.

The index polled 13,296 people across 14 countries.

The index comes on the back of a similar survey of 4,500 adults in the UK by telecoms regulator Ofcom, which revealed that approximately half of respondents were worried about disclosing personal details online, and concerns about ID fraud had risen by 15 percent in two years.

Neil Fisher, vice president for ID theft and fraud at Unisys, said in a statement: "Identity theft and fraud is clearly an important and growing problem that is costing banks and the public a huge sum of money and distress."

"Consumers, governments and businesses need to address this growing problem, not least by being vigilant and taking measures to protect themselves," Fisher added. "The digital age is bundled up with a whole new set of threats."

Fisher said the index showed that telecoms providers, banks and retailers would face an uphill struggle to convince the public to accept mobile-phone payments.