Home broadband service users across the UK are being targeted by more spam than ever before.

According to a survey carried out by uSwitch.co.uk, UK homes are being targeted by 107 million junk emails every day.

It also found that despite the fact that 79 per cent of internet users currently have spam filters set up in their inboxes, 83 per cent of people are still receiving this junk email, with more than a quarter (26 per cent) of respondents claiming to receive more than ten spam emails every day.

Technology expert Ernest Doku commented: "Spam is the great bug-bear of the internet age. Unfortunately, as we've become more dependent on our internet connections, so spam has spiralled to epidemic proportions."

He added that the problem is now no longer simply associated with computers, as mobile spam is becoming a bigger issue every day - with 17 million mobile users across the country receiving spam text messages also.

"We urge the government to introduce stronger rules to govern spam and to put pressure on mobile networks and internet providers to work harder to stop the problem," Mr Doku concluded.

The hassle caused by this deluge of spam is not simply limited to wasting people's time and filling their inboxes with unwanted junk mail. There is a more sinister side to the problem, with 18 per cent of respondents claiming they have been infected by a virus as a result of a spam email.

Furthermore, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recently highlighted the fact that many home broadband users have little idea how to configure security systems for home Wi-Fi networks, meaning fraudsters could easily gain access to their sensitive information.

An online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of the ICO showed that 16 per cent of respondents with a home Wi-Fi network have failed to protect it, whether intentionally or unknowingly.
 

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26th August 2009

Despite Lord Mandelsons recent anti piracy proposals, i think this whole war against p2p will keep going back and forth. All i can say is that it is right to offer customers exciting legal ways of obtaining 'downloadable (not streamed)' music as opposed to using intimidation to achieve their goals. Give people what they want with no excuses for not being able to come up with the goods due to legal complications and people will be willing to legally obtain music. For example, the considered approach of creating an all you can eat legal music service is a very positive approach to tackling online piracy and yet not making enemies with anyone. However something tells me that now the big cheeses are happy they have got their way, we won't see such a service implemented. Some people, despite the warnings will continue to use p2p, i think that is a fact!! You can't change some people Dave UK