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Wireless broadband has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with over 80% of UK homes now having access to a broadband connection, according to some statistics. We can now choose from a wide variety of broadband deals, offering fast connection at an affordable price.

As a result, social networking sites have seen a sharp rise in popularity in recent years. There are believed to be more than 10.8 million UK users registered on sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook.

Coupled with broadband internet becoming more readily available to all, it has never been easier to keep in contact with old friends from work, school, and travel abroad.

But while we now have a variety of cheap broadband services to choose from, the same survey also showed that many of us are, unknowingly, leaving our wireless broadband connections open to hackers and other malicious individuals who may seek to use our personal data for fraudulent purposes.

A survey suggests that over 30% of individuals and their family and friends have been victims of computer viruses, with a further 9% having had their computers hacked into.

Seemingly innocent data such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, even your date of birth, posted on a page designed to attract friends, may be attracting more malicious visitors. Personal details could be seen, used, and exploited by fraudsters. And at a time when the increasing risk of identity theft is documented in the media, broadband providers constantly have to devise new methods for tackling this rapidly-increasing crime.

There are steps we can take to ensure that our data is safe and to ensure that our broadband connections are more difficult to hack:

• Use complex passwords with at least eight characters and include some numbers and/or symbols


• Avoid using the same password for a variety of accounts


• Back up important files regularly using removable USB pen-drives


• Use a combination of anti-virus and anti-spyware software and run regular scans on your system


• Use firewalls to guard your system against hackers


• Don't give out personal information to any unknown sources, and do not reply to any e-mails that you believe to be suspicious

Broadband providers now offer a range of products and services such as firewalls and anti-virus software built into their browsers to make surfing the web safer, helping to not only put the minds of their customers at ease, but to help keep their personal details safe from fraudsters.

Compare a range of broadband providers to find a cheap broadband deal that suits you.