• Viruses and identity theft are the biggest fears of the German Internet community
• More than one in two trust strong brands on the Net
• Scout24 focuses on prevention and information

Munich, 20 October 2009 – Security on the Internet – a topical issue of lively debate. Phishing and virus attacks, data fraud, the list of German Internet users’ fears is a long one. But what are they most sceptical about – and where do they feel safe? A new Scout24 trend survey representative of the populace delves into these issues.

The biggest threats identified by the German Internet community are a virus attack on their own computer (69 per cent of those surveyed) and identity theft (62 per cent). 90 per cent use a standard virus program to protect themselves against viruses, but what do they do against other dangers like subscription traps or data theft? The survey shows that German Internet users trust strong brands. More than half of Internet users (53 per cent) surf exclusively in known online marketplaces, as they feel these are safe.

The Scout24 Group’s marketplaces focus on prevention and information. The “Sicherer Autokauf” [Purchase a car safely] initiative launched by AutoScout24 (http://www.sicherer-autokauf.de), and ImmobilienScout24’s “Sichere Immobiliensuche” [Search for a property safely] Website (http://www.sichere-immobiliensuche.de) help prevent Internet crime. Extended Validation SSL certificates (EV-SSL), used by FinanceScout24 among others, ensure greater standards of security than standard SSL encryption: in this way they offer better protection for personal data.

The trend survey also shows that other users’ opinions are important for creating trust on the Net. 77 per cent of those surveyed rely on digital ratings and reports on experiences. Platforms like “AutoWissen24”, on which users can read and write reports on experiences with their vehicles, and “meineNachbarschaft”, where users can rate their neighbours and their residential area, help people make the right decisions in key spheres of life.

A representative random sample of more than 1,000 Internet users took part in Scout24’s and the Innofact market research institute’s recent trend survey in September 2009. We will gladly send you the detailed results of the trend survey upon request.

Scout24 is one of Europe's leading groups of companies for online market places. The seven marketplaces of the Scout24 Group, AutoScout24, ElectronicScout24, FinanceScout24, FriendScout24, ImmobilienScout24, JobScout24, TravelScout24 and the portal Jobs.de are present in 18 countries. As a strong partner, Scout supports its customers in important decisions, in particular in the fields of housing, mobility, employment, partnership and finance.

Every month, around eight million Internet users place their confidence in the offerings provided by the Scout24 Group, which is a part of the Deutsche Telekom Group. Further information is available under www.scout24.com.