Two million Swedes exposed to crime online

According to a new Novus survey commissioned by MSB, almost every third Swedish is worried about being exposed to IT-related crime - and the fear does not seem unjustified. In the same investigation, it turns out that almost two million Swedes have at some time been exposed to crimes on the Internet. This may involve slander, threats or harassment - but also fraudulent attempts.

Now the police warn that too many Swedes nevertheless have a high risk behavior on the net. In a security survey conducted by Statistics Sweden, almost half of the population uses passwords with clear personal connection - for example, the name of a child or pet. About a fifth also use these passwords in more than one place.

Many also use character series such as abc123 to protect their accounts - a format that increases the risk of information falling into the wrong hands. In addition, using the same password for multiple accounts or apps that save card information increases the risk of fraudsters accessing sensitive information.

According to Lotta Mauritzson at the police's national fraud center, the most important thing is to keep apart and vary their passwords. The biggest risk that users run is that their user information (such as username and password) leaks from a database beyond the user's control. In recent years, there have been several major leaks where thousands of users' data have been stolen and then sold to fraudsters.

- If you have the same password for your e-mail account, they can access and reset all accounts that you ever use. Including accounts where bank details and everything is saved, says Lotta Mauritzson.

The police's general advice for internet use is to create secure passwords, and to use different passwords for different services. When it comes to card details, it's not about saving them in apps and digital services - you can also close your card for internet purchases and only open it when you shop online.