Consumer confidence in online banking received a body blow last week after British Internet bank Egg.com uncovered an attempt to defraud it of thousands of pounds. Despite this, Irish banks believe the risk of online fraud is minimal. A spokesman for Bank of Ireland said it had "a very robust security system in place", but warned "there are always people trying to find a way around these systems". He said banks with online facilities need to be "extremely vigilant". A spokesman for AIB Bank - which recently predicted it would have 100,000 online customers by the end of the year - said a system had been in place for a number of years to detect the duplication of applications for credit online.
British police last week arrested three people in connection with the "virtual bank robbery" of Egg.com. The bank said that no money was actually taken but an attempt was made to establish bogus accounts and to access funds. The company installed special software deigned to trace the source of the attempted fraud and seven houses were raided after a six-month investigation.
Licence to surf: The man who helped create the World Wide Web has said its users should require a licence to surf. In an interview with New Scientist Robert Cailliau, a Belgian computer engineer who co-drafted the first proposals for the Web with Britain's Tim Berners-Lee, suggests people be educated in how to use the Internet, in the same way as schools teach children how to read, and that they take a test to acquire a Net permit.
Evolution: The Irish e-commerce industry will be worth more than £5 billion by 2003, a group of consultants has predicted. Amarach Consulting's report "Recruitment's E-volution" also says that by then 35,000 people will be employed in the sector and 32 per cent of Irish Internet users will spend £1.1 billion on Web purchases.
Breaking down is hard to do: Computer glitches can be more stressful than a relationship break-up, a survey has revealed. And computer rage also causes more anguish than traffic jams, queuing and in-laws, the survey by e-business services company ICL says. Nearly one in five people, 17 per cent, considered computer problems to be the same, or more, stressful than being left by a partner, while 38 per cent found computer problems more stressful than being stuck, or delayed, on public transport.
Dial-A-Drug: An entrepreneurial drug-dealing group is attempting to exploit m-commerce to ply its trade. iToke, set up by American dealers in Amsterdam, where selling marijuana is legal, is seeking venture capital to back the idea but as yet the idea has not got off the ground.
Jailcam: A jail in the US has launched a website featuring a "jailcam" which allows a worldwide audience to take a look at what goes on behind bars. The Arizona jail's governor decided on the initiative in an attempt to deter people from committing crime.
Web Wedding: A local authority in Britain has come up with the perfect way to avoid inviting undesirable distant relatives to your wedding. Couples getting married in Brent (www.brent.gov.uk/reg), north-west London can have their service broadcast live on the Web by the council free of charge. In an Internet first last Thursday, Ravi Ram and Mamta Patel took their vows in front of a potential audience of millions.
Childish Virus: A computer virus featuring the Japanese cartoon character Pikachu the Pokemon has been found in computers in the US, leaving some operating systems devastated. First detected late last month, the virus has been nicknamed "Pokey" by US experts. The Pokey virus works in a similar way to the "Love Bug" virus but is slower-moving.
Arrestless: The hacking of Eircom's Internet service this month remains unsolved with no arrests to date. The incident caused disruption to an estimated 30,000 users. The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, which is investigating the crime, said it was "following a number of lines of inquiry". The Garda has interviewed a number of people, including Eircom employees, throughout the State. Eircom said that most of the 30,000 customers were now reconnected to the service.
Suits you sir: The suspected author of the "ILOVEYOU" virus, computer student Mr Onel de Guzman, may face civil suits from victims of the virus, a Philippine state prosecutor said last week. The virus, released on May 4th, is estimated to have caused billions of dollars worth of damage when it attacked at least 45 million computers, from Ford Motor Co to the Pentagon and the British parliament.
Snoope: Authorities in Britain have delayed planned laws for employers' monitoring of workers' emails after harsh industry criticism. The laws will now come into being at the end of October, allowing time for the issues to be discussed and for changes to be made if necessary. Some groups are suggesting that the legislation could ban workers from sending personal emails.
In brief... online.ie has begun offering Internet-based training courses in a wide range of information technology subjects . . . Leading Internet firm Lastminute.com is being investigated by British trading standards officials for allegedly publishing misleading prices . . . Meanfiddler.com said that it is to enter into an associate deal with Amazon to sell compact discs and other related music products online . . .