London: Cybercrime is costing the UK economy 670 million British pounds a year, says government, but true figure is likely to be higher. According to the figures released by Get Safe Online, which is a joint public private internet safety initiative, 51 percent of the population has fallen victim to cases of hacking, online abuse and identity theft, and as a consequence, felt “very” or “extremely” violated by the experience.
The survey has revealed that 53 percent of the population thought that crimes committed in the virtual world were just as serious as those that happen in the physical world.
Moreover, 54 percent of cybercrime victims actively sought out their perpetrators, only 14 percent were successful.
Though, perceptions of online crime have become more negative, the figures reveal that 47 percent of people were unsure or unaware of where to report the crime.
Although, cybercrime is becoming a real problem in the UK, the survey showed that people who had fallen victim to cyber criminals took a proactive role in protecting themselves against future attacks.
[Source: delhidailynews.com, Wed 22 Oct, 2014]