SentryBay warns Christmas 2009 is biggest personal information threat since e-tailing began

Published 3rd December 2009

Anti-keylogging and anti-phishing specialist urges caution to beat ID thieves


London UK 3 December 2009. Security specialist SentryBay today warned that shoppers looking for bargains online for Christmas 2009 face the biggest security threat since the boom in e-tailing began.

As research shows more than a third of people intend to shop more on the web this year and analysts predict bargain hunters will research early but buy late, SentryBay claims there will be a unique mixture of factors putting consumers at risk:

· More people than ever will be online, widening the net for online criminals
· When searching for bargains, shoppers will enter more personal information
· By purchasing late, people will be in a hurry and overlook basic security measures
· Attacks are more sophisticated – fooling even more experienced online users
· By browsing and ordering from work, people risk their online protection by relying on the IT department to guard their personal details

Marcus Whittington, COO, SentryBay explains: “Online shopping is now as much of a Christmas ritual as last minute dashes to the supermarket. No one wants to lose the convenience, value and great deals to be had on the web. But as more people put more information online the threat of identity theft grows. The average UK consumer spends seven hours a week online and by 2020 IMRG expects 90 per cent of all transactions here will be either over the net or influenced by it. On the path to this point, this year is shaping up as the most risky since buying on the web kicked off in the early noughties.”

“December 2008 saw just over 8,000 phishing attacks. On average 13% of phishing attacks capture credit card details – that’s just over 1,000 victims. The 37% Christmas increase means that number of victims touches 1,500. And that is just credit cards. Going by previous figures, almost 2,500 bank accounts details will be captured and nearly a thousand full identities.”

Currently Lucid Intelligence, a partner of SentryBay, has 138 million records of individuals globally who have had their data stolen – and this number is growing rapidly.

Whittington concludes: “To negate these risks, shoppers need to have confidence not only in the sites they are visiting but also the devices they are using to go online. A real time approach which negates the security risk of information entered into shopping sites, or even just sites such as Google where so many people begin looking, is critical to make sure people do not pass on personal information. Likewise, proactive solutions that go beyond just protecting users from confirmed spyware or phishing sites - and actively protect information when it is being entered, represent a better way to secure your Christmas spend online.”

About SentryBay
SentryBay is a leader in real-time data security software - its proactive solutions offer unparalleled security in real-time preventing identity theft and theft of corporate data. This protects a user’s online identity while protecting corporate brands and reputation. SentryBay is a privately-held company headquartered in London with offices in the USA and Australasia. For more information please visit www.sentrybay.com