Will you change your online shopping habits?
Earlier this week mobile phone operator Talk Talk had a major security breach, and today we hear that the Marks and Spencer website was suspended after shocked customers got access to other shoppers’ personal details.
Shoppers registered for the online service reported being able to see other people’s dates of birth, addresses and purchases as they clicked through to place orders. The website was taken down last night and replaced with a message reading: “We’re making some improvements.”
In light of the TalkTalk incident it doesn’t inspire confidence, although a 15-year-old boy has been arrested in Northern Ireland in connection with this hacking attack has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
More than 600,000 customers in the UK had their personal details stolen in 2014, according to experts.
Many of the thefts took place in unreported incidents, the information security company Symantec said.
The figure was backed by unnamed government officials, who also said that “tens of thousands” of Britons’ identities are for sale on the dark web.
The Internet has changed our lives in so many positive ways, and it is virtually impossible to enjoy these benefits without sharing our personal details.
How does this make you feel? Do you have increasing concerns about how safe your financial data is on the Internet? Will you alter your shopping habits? Or do the benefits of using the Internet in your day to day life out way any potential security risk?
