ISPs and consumers urged to co-operate on security

Business consultancy Detica has stepped into the ID fraud debate, urging internet service providers (ISPs) to boost security and warning consumers to take more responsibility for their faults.

Mark Dampster, head of business development for Detica StreamShield, argued that the very fact that email security breaches are able to occur demonstrates the "huge gaps in cyber security that we still face".

"To make ourselves safer we must get past trying to assign blame or responsibility to one group," he said. "It is the shared duty of ISPs and computer users to ensure online security, and a combined effort will make our cyber resilience much more robust."

Dampster suggested that ISPs should introduce software that can mitigate the threat of spam attacks such as phishing emails by scanning messages before they reach consumers.

Computer users, meanwhile, should keep software up to date and patched, while also taking more care of personal information and the places where it is shared, and changing passwords at regular intervals.

"Online fraudsters are increasingly using 'soft' psychological techniques that exploit fear, greed, ignorance and haste. Tricking a human being can be a lot easier and more fruitful than hacking secure technology," said Dampster.

"Users still need to think 'safety first' and use common sense. By recognising that cyber space is shared territory where we all have responsibilities for security, we can ensure that the internet is as safe as possible.

"This not only protects consumers, but opens up great opportunities for ISPs to add value to consumers and gain a competitive edge."

The warnings came at the end of National Fraud Prevention Week.

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