The bulk of Irish internet users have been victims of e-mail viruses or phishing attempts, according to a new study.

The survey, which was was conducted by W5 Marketing for Brandmail Solutions, found that almost 80 percent of users have been hit by e-mail viruses while one in six have fallen prey to phishing attempts.

The study found that 83 percent of internet users believe there is always a risk when sending or receiving personal information in an e-mail. Conor Flynn, technical director of Rits said he was surprised but pleased to see the level of awareness was so high. "It's the result of the media increasing public awareness about threats online," he said.

Noel Ruane, managing director of Brandmail Solutions said the survey showed Irish internet users were concerned about security online. "The experience of Irish internet users mirrors that of internet users in other countries such as the US," he said. "There is a fear factor when it comes to online communications and as a consequence legitimate brands suffer."

The study also found that 90 percent of users want to be able to trust e-mails from companies they know and that 8 out of 10 users want to feel more secure when dealing with companies online. Among the survey's other findings was a desire of 95 percent of users to see a unique visible security icon in the inbox to assure the e-mail is genuine and from a legitimate sender.

"It is good to see that so many people want to move away from paper-based communications. It shows more people would be willing to do business online if the risks weren't there," said Flynn. He said visible security icons, already in use by companies such as Yahoo, are only useful if the user knows to look for them.

The latest statistics from the Anti-Phishing Work Group show the number of phishing attacks increased by 258 percent between April 2005 and April 2006. Customers of major Irish banks have been targeted by phishing attempts recently.

"Only last week, the Bank of Ireland agreed to compensate victims of a recent phishing scam by refunding EUR163,000 into their accounts," said Ruane. "Internet Service Providers and brand managers must start taking this issue seriously and take responsibility for what is happening before consumers completely lose faith in what is probably the most cost effective and targeted communications channel at their disposal - e-mail."

Flynn said there is a dual responsibility on customers and businesses to deal with threats to online transactions. "People don't throw around their chip and pin number but they are more easily taken in with e-mail," he said. "Consumers need to be careful with information as they could give away access to online accounts."

Flynn said financial institutions need to keep up to date with threats and make their customers more aware of any new dangers that may arise.