Over three quarters of people in the UK believe that their passwords are completely safe if kept with a large company, according to a survey by Uswitch.

The company presented each person taking part in the survey with a number of myths surrounding internet security. The survey found online passwords are the most misunderstood topic, with almost half of respondents believing each myth around their passwords.

Online banking is the area that people are most knowledgeable about , with an average of 13 per cent of people believing each myth. Around 26 per cent believed the misconception that online banking is less secure than banking in person.

The survey found that there were many misconceptions around virtual private networks (VPN). Around 70 per cent of people are unaware that a VPN can prevent an online session from being hijacked over public wifi.

Older people are more vulnerable on the internet with three quarters of people over 55 are unaware that without a VPN hijackers could access passwords and financial details.

Commenting on the results of the survey Nick Baker, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said that to keep secure online people should invest in a VPN, use virus protection and create longer passwords.

He added: “As internet security gets stronger, scammers and hackers have, in turn, gotten better at evading it. But there are precautions that anyone can take to improve their safety online”

Share Story: