The potential hazards on the Internet are changing just as quickly as computer technology itself. It's the job of Germany's Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) to promote better PC security. Agency boss Michael Hange is now concerned about risks to mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet computers.
"Not least because they are increasingly popular and ubiquitous, mobile devices are already an attractive target for criminals of all sorts," explains the expert in computer security. "We're having to take that more into account when we think about security."
Smartphones are fundamentally faced with the same threats as stationary PCs. "You have to count on viruses and malware impinging there as well."
That affects not just the confidentiality of telephone conversations and data, but also the entire range of applications. It's more than just vulnerable address books. It could range from the chance to eavesdrop on conversations to the ability to track the position of the user.
The biggest threat for PC users in the eyes of the BSI president are botnets, private computers that have been infested with viruses to be remote controlled and misused to attack other computers.
That makes it very important to protect your computer carefully on the Internet and choose carefully where to visit," Hange explains. "Websites are rigged to infect a PC if a certain area of a website gets clicked."
In half the cases the PC ends up being used for more than 300 days without the user noticing the infection, Hange says. "But if you get caught up in a botnet, you are part of the crime instrument."
Identity theft is another problem on Hange's mind. "Phishing" seeks to trick internet users into revealing their user names and passwords, such as through fake websites that look like genuine ones. That form of Internet criminality affects the entire spectrum of internet usage, not just online banking, the BSI president says.
Most users are aware of the risks - polling shows that 90 per cent are conscious of the problem. "The inherent next step, the idea that you need to do something about it, remains underdeveloped," Hange complains. "Here only 50 per cent or so are active. This gap between the consciousness and activity is still too big."
To ensure the confidentiality of email communication, the BSI recommends using encryption.
"Everyone can decide for themselves whether to send a postcard or a letter in an envelope. Because that's the difference between unencrypted and encrypted email," Hange explains. There are appropriate no-cost encryption tools on the market for sending email, including Open PGP.
IT security faces the challenge that the technology keeps changing and getting more complex, Hange says. Each individual has to assume responsibility "for being cautious about which websites you visit, for always keeping your software up-to-date and for having proper password protection," he says.
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