Blog

Almost all small online businesses do not believe they are liable for fraud on their websites, according to research sponsored by PayPoint.net.

The company found that 99 per cent of the 350 companies they surveyed did not accept any responsibility for fraud, with most passing it on to someone else.

Most blamed banks (35 per cent), nearly a quarter (24 per cent) blamed credit card companies while 23 per cent laid the blame on payment service providers.

However, 87 per cent did not anticipate complaints about fraud to reduce in the next year and 81 per cent of consumers are suspicious of security systems used by small companies, potentially pushing customers towards more familiar, big-name companies.

PayPoint.net managing director Alessandro Hatami said: ‘Small online online businesses lack the resources of their larger competitors but have an even greater interest in ensuring that customers have the safest possible experience.’

The company suggest comparing the IP address of the PC being used by the customer’s location with the billing and shipping address to improve security.

Small companies should also comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The number of people participating in online social networking is booming, a report has found.

There are currently 9.6 million people in the UK who belong to a social networking site and that number is forecast to nearly treble in the next five years, the report by Datamonitor revealed.

Although driven by the younger age groups, many older generations have now begun to be drawn in.

A report by Hitwise/Experian Integrated Marketing found that the role of social networks would be bigger than ever in 2008. It said that no business or government could afford to ignore the role these sites played in people’s lives.

Datamonitor’s consumer markets analyst and author of the report Matthew Taylor said: ‘Consumers are creating and joining existing social communities which, if harnessed correctly, can be an important marketing tool.’

The UK has the highest social networking membership in Europe and has been quick to embrace the technology. According to the report many start-up networks are only available in the English language.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

A risk assessment company has advised people to take simple steps in protecting themselves against identity fraud.

Even locking away documents, shredding unneeded paperwork and making sure bins are properly emptied can all help in the fight against online fraud, Experian has said.

A report by Apacs in March found that cases of online credit fraud were up 25 per cent on the previous year’s figures, making up over half of all credit fraud cases.

Last year, 68 per cent of consumers said they were concerned that financial data could be stolen when they made online purchases, according to a report by Mintel Comperemedia.

Experian’s fraud and regulatory compliance director Helen Lord said: ‘Identity fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes of the 21st century, but there are steps people can take to prevent it from happening.’

She advised holding onto bills and receipts to check with bank statements and asking neighbors to look after each other’s post when one of them is away to discourage theft.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

According to consumer comparison website uSwitch, prices for broadband in the UK have fallen 36 per cent in the past four years while average speeds have risen from 0.5Mbps to 8Mbps.

The experts at uSwitch say no one should have to pay more than £20 per month for standalone broadband, yet nearly five million consumers are still on old contracts a cost of £163 million per year.

The report showed Orange as the having the most expensive broadband for the past five years, while Virgin Media had the fastest services and has just announced it will offer 50Mbps connections next year.

Steve Weller, head of communications services at uSwitch, recommended that anyone without a contract should take advantage of the low prices as soon as possible in the new year.

“We predict that prices will stabilise,” he said, “but customers will be offered more for their money as ISPs continue to increase
speeds.”

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Trojans have topped threat lists during the first six months of the year, according to a new report.

Security firm BitDefender Labs says that Trojans were the most popular form of malicious threat in the first half of 2007, along with mass mailers.

The Netsky worm also continued to keep its place in the top ten threat list, with all of the malware in the table accounting for two-thirds of total web viruses.

Viorel Canja, head of BitDefender Labs, called the shift from viruses to Trojans ‘an interesting trend’.

‘Although the popularity of mass mailers is slowly receding, variants are still present and pose a very real risk to computer systems used by consumers and small businesses,’ he added.

A recent report from information security services provider SecureWorks revealed that the number of hackers targeting banking institutions has soared by 81 per cent since 2006, with attackers using the Gozi, Prg and BBB Trojans in particular.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!