Internet hacking threat to national security

Nearly a third of all Britons believe the Internet poses a serious threat to national security, according to figures published by WhichOnline Tuesday.

According to the report security was the third most serious concern posed by the Internet after fraud and immorality. Thirty percent of those surveyed believe the Internet could be used to launch a serious attack on the country's critical infrastructure.

The government-funded Cert (Computer Emergency Response Team) at Janet (Joint Educational Network), however, believes public concern is unfounded. It insists that the UK's vital computer infrastructure is more secure than people believe.

"I think those who really have responsibility for national security are pretty clued-up," says head of Cert, Andrew Cormack. "What is realistic and has been demonstrated is that a large chunk of government can be slowed down by things like viruses. I would hope that most of the critical infrastructure is not running over the Internet."

The Which report also showed that despite reassurances from banks and e-commerce sites, more than half of all Britons still believe the Internet is a haven for high-tech fraudsters.

To read more about the WhichOnline report go to A quarter of Brits find Internet a turn-off

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