Really?

a worrying quote from today’s BBC Online news site:

“The government’s study also found fears of online crime ran so deep some people were being put off using the internet altogether.”

Can this really be true? Is online security really now such a big issue to members of everyday public? I found this story today actually rather worrying – maybe as i work in the technology space i take the internet and all it offers for granted and am better informed of the risks and how to manage them - but are the barriers to entry to the internet, and the full benefits it can bring, widening? Are security concerns now playing a larger part to this as affordability, access and technical knowledge perhaps used to?

 As well as being fearful of using the Internet the survey also showed that people are more fearful of cyber crime than being burgaled! Virtual crime is now becoming as damaging as physical. Why is this; i’d be keen to know? Any form of crime is a bad thing, for sure. I would  still feel more damged emotionaly  knowing that an ‘intruder’ had walked through my flat, stolen my jewlery, priceless family artifacts and rustled through the girlfriends knicker draw. Maybe i’m the excpetion.