The communications regulator Ofcom releasd its annual Communications Market research. Notable was the increase and diversification of social networkers, with Facebook growing 73% since May, Twitter now counting 2.6 million unique users, and use of social networking sites growing fast among the 35 to 54 age range.
Phil D’Angio, director at VeriSign, comments: “The rise in the popularity of social networking is a positive step forward; for consumers, it’s a great way to connect and share information online. This presents a sizable business opportunity, creating forums for consumers to chat about new products and gain confidence to invest. The advantages for consumers are equally numerous. However, as more people sign up to social media sites, the security risk grows as phishers take advantage of easy prey. Increasingly sophisticated attacks constantly emerge, designed to target the large numbers of new users; and security has to become a critical part of the equation.
“Phishers and hackers are now on the prowl to steal as much information as they can from the more unsuspecting social networkers. Online sites can become harvest grounds for personal information and clues to passwords which e-criminals can compile and use to commit identity theft. Users are under increased pressure to exercise caution when posting information online, but equally it is of paramount importance for online businesses to invest in high quality security solutions.”
