MINISTER CALLS FOR PC USERS TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT IT SECURITY

The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, T.D. today (Wednesday 17th November) called on PC users to educate themselves about IT security issues so that they can maximise the benefit of their online experience. The Minister was speaking at an event to mark Ireland’s first ‘make IT secure’ Day. The aim of ‘make IT secure’ is to share simple and straight forward information with all PC users, in the home and the workplace, about how they can get secure and stay secure and to encourage people to educate themselves about the areas of risk. ‘make IT secure’, is a nationwide information and awareness campaign about IT security issues led by a unique public / private consortium including, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Microsoft, Eircom, HP, Dell, Symantec, Esat BT and Ward Solutions. The Information Society Commission has also been a key member of the consortium, facilitating the collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders. The ‘make IT secure’ research, carried out by Amarach Consulting, revealed that over four in ten home and work PC’s have been affected by viruses in the past (home – 43%, work – 46%). Understanding of key Internet security terms such as ‘Operating System patches’, ‘phishing’ and ‘modem hijacking’ is poor among work Internet users with home users having even less awareness of these terms. www.makeITsecure.ie.