About trust and security

For example, 20% of them say they do not use online banking or shop online for reasons of security. It is true that an increase in security concerns can be partly explained by Internet users' increasing awareness of potential risks. Nevertheless, their partial abstention from these services indicates the need for a reinforced effort to promote security.

At the same time, efforts to protect users do not always appear to be proportionate to the risks. For example, while 84% of Internet users use some kind of security tool (firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam), a quarter of these does not update their security tools regularly.

Several Digital Agenda were started in the last year. On 3 November 2011 the EU Commission and the European Network and Information Security Agency conducted together with the United States the first joint readiness tests for cyber attacks in "Cyber Atlantic 2011".

On 28 March 2012 the Commission adopted a Proposal to establish a European Cybercrime Centre, which is scheduled to start operations in January 2013. It is planned that this Centre be established within the European Police Office (Europol) in The Hague.

Regarding the online protection of children, on 29 November 2011 the Council adopted Conclusions on the protection of minors in the digital world, which includes provisions for Member States to act in this field, including on offering teaching online safety in schools, and on 2 May 2012, the Commission adopted a Strategy for a Better Internet for Children.

Documents 2012

• Pillar actions overview

Documents 2011

• Monitoring trust and security
• Attitudes on Data Protection and Electronic Identity