IDENTITY theft and credit card fraud are among the top worries of Singaporeans, according to the Unisys Security Index released recently.

More than three-quarters of those surveyed continue to express concerns about unauthorised access to, or the misuse of, personal information, as well as the leakage of credit or debit card details, said the May 2008 Singapore Unisys Security Index.

It found that an estimated two million people in Singapore are extremely or very concerned about these issues -83 per cent on the abuse of their personal information, and 80 per cent on other people getting their credit or debit card details, The Business Times reported yesterday.

'This does indicate a sophisticated understanding of the physical and non-physical impact of these issues to their lives,' said Mr Scott Whyman, Unisys' Asia South vice-president and general manager.

'It also indicates that they want to know what measures are in place to safeguard their information.'

He added that this information would be useful for those in the banking and financial industry looking to educate their customers on what security measures are in place to protect their customers' identities. It is also an opportunity for banks to boost the security for their customers.

The study found that white collar workers are more concerned about security of banking or shopping online, with 54 per cent being extremely or very concerned about online transactions compared to 45 per cent of their blue collar counterparts.

Lower income households are also less concerned about financial fraud -73 per cent of those earning up to $2,999 a month are extremely or very concerned about others obtaining their credit or debit card details, compared to 84 per cent of those earning $4,500 or more a month.

Among those who work full time, 85 per cent say they are extremely or very concerned about unauthorised access to, or misuse, of their personal information.

This compares to 79 per cent of those who do not work.

Mr Whyman said organisations and governments today are facing potential security threats that did not exist a decade ago, or, if they did exist, were not seen as such a pressing concern

'These security threats are global and their effects impact individuals on a daily basis. We believe that the most effective solutions are going to be those formed through collaboration across interests, sectors, borders and geographies,' he said.