UK surfers wide open to identity theft

One in four UK surfers has shared sensitive personal information with complete strangers on social networking sites including Facebook and MySpace, research warned today.

A survey commissioned by Symantec and conducted by YouGov among 2,272 UK users also found that one in three, and 43 per cent of the London workforce, admitted to applying for a new job online while at work.

These applicants are routinely posting CVs to online job sites that require personal information such as mobile number and email address.

According to the report, internet users unlucky in love are turning to the virtual world with potentially dangerous consequences.

Some 17 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women look for love through an online dating agency and share personal details with complete strangers without checking their authenticity.

Nearly one in three have 'happily' listed personal details such as name, date of birth, address and bank account or credit card details on more than 10 websites.

A further 15 per cent of men and 12 per cent of women have clicked on a URL sent by an unknown source via email or instant message, which could be a phishing attempt or lead to a compromised website.

Caroline Cockerill, internet security advocate at Symantec, said that UK users need to be more cautious when it comes to sharing personal information online.

"It is important to remember that you are often putting yourself, your personal information and your photographs, music and memories at potential risk if you share such details with insecure websites or with complete strangers online, who might not have your best intentions at heart," she said.