Get Safe Online Survey Says People Are Scared

A recently announced study by the government and industry sponsored British organization Get Safe Online has been the starting point for a thousand headlines (including our own) that run along the lines of “People Fear Online Crime More Than Death Itself.”

The organization, to its credit, uses a less sensational “Report reveals public need greater reassurance about internet crime” as its hook.  Though the lead graph ends with “they fear [online crime] more than mugging, car theft and burglary. 

That’s not a completely accurate portrayal, based on my reading. What the survey actually seems to say is that people feel they are more likely to be a victim of online crime than they are to be mugged, have their car stolen, be burgularized, or, we can assume, get hit by a bus, be stalked by paparazzi, or have the life choked out of them by Darth Vader. 

It’s easy to forgive the sensationalism, however, if the results are beneficial. The organization is calling for additional education to promote safe online behavior–always a good thing. And the GSO has organized a Get Safe Online Week to help its own cause.

We, however, would like to know what you fear more than online crime. If you have a minute, take a quick look at our Quick Poll on the topic.