PC users need to be sure they are protecting their identity, personal information and family when using the internet, Minister for Communications, Noel Dempsey, said at the launch of the second annual "Make IT Secure Day".

With recent research by Amárach Consulting revealing that only 13 per cent of respondents understood the term "phishing", only 19 per cent understood "identity theft" and only 24 per cent understood what spyware is, there's an urgent need to educate PC users, he said.

Sponsored by the department and a coalition of organisations, Make IT Secure Day's purpose is "to try and ensure people have the necessary tools and information to use the internet in a safe and secure way," Mr Dempsey said.

"We've worked to create a campaign that will have a lasting effect on PC users."

The campaign focuses on four threats to computer users: spyware (stealth programmes downloaded secretly to a PC); identity theft (using someone's personal information fraudulently); phishing (obtaining passwords, information, and account access though faked emails); and child safety.

This initiative includes a website at www.makeITsecure.ie.

According to IT security company Espion, a computer user who goes online for three hours daily can expect to have at least one spyware infection weekly, the Minister said.

A sample computer left running on the internet for two weeks in Ireland received 3,119 security attacks in that time.

The Amárach survey revealed a low level of general security awareness amongst Irish computer users in both business and home environments.

For example, while 79 per cent of home and 75 per cent of business PC users employ anti-virus software, 35 per cent of home and 34 per cent of business users couldn't remember the last time they'd updated the programme.

Just under half of PC users said they had a good understanding of what viruses do.

In addition, 74 per cent of parents say they don't use any special software to restrict their children's access to the internet.

And 37 per cent said they don't monitor what their children do online.