Attorney-General Robert McClelland today released new research which shows nearly one in six Australians have been a victim or known somebody who has been a victim of identity theft or misuse in the past six months.

Mr McClelland said the survey of 1,200 people - which will be used to help develop a new National Identity Security Strategy - also revealed nine in ten people are concerned or very concerned about identity theft and misuse

"It's clear from these results that there is real concern in the Australian community about identity theft and misuse," Mr McClelland said.

"As technology evolves and people undertake more business and transactions online, the risk of identity theft increases.

"This week, the Government introduced new legislation into Parliament to strengthen cyber security laws and enhance Australia's ability to combat international cyber crime.

"In the last six months alone, Australia's Computer Emergency Response Team has alerted Australian businesses to more than a quarter of a million pieces of stolen information such as passwords and account details, allowing them to take steps to protect their systems and their customers."

"The Government has developed a number of resources to help people understand the implications of identity theft and misuse, including Protecting your Identity and Lost, Stolen or Found Identity Documents.

For more information on protecting your identity go to www.ag.gov.au/Identitysecurity

"These products provide practical strategies on how individuals can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft and what to do if they become a victim of this crime."

Minister for Justice Brendan O'Connor said the survey also showed 60 per cent of people believe there is a growing risk of information about their identity being stolen.

"There are simple steps that people can take to protect their identity online including the use of strong passwords and access control, being aware of how much personal information you are posting on public sites and never clicking a link or opening an attachment from someone you don't know or a source you don't trust," he said.

"Other useful Australian Government resources to help people protect their identity including Protecting Yourself Online - What Everyone Needs to Know and Budd:e Cyber Security Education Package for Australian primary and secondary school students.

"Identity security is a shared responsibility and these resources demonstrate how the public and private sectors can work together towards helping Australians keep their identities safe online and offline."

The survey also revealed that the majority of identity theft or misuse occurred over the Internet (58 per cent), or through the loss of a credit or debit card (30 per cent). Stolen identify information was primarily used to purchase goods or services (55 per cent) or to obtain finance, credit or a loan (26 per cent).

In addition, identity crime as both a key enabler to other crime types and as a crime in its own right is identified as a priority organised crime risk in the Organised Crime Threat Assessment.

"Serious and organised crime is costing Australia up to $15 billion every year, and identity crime is used by organised criminal groups to further their illicit activity," Mr O'Connor said.

"The Government has made combating identity crime a key plank in the Commonwealth Organised Crime Response Plan, recognising that this offence is a gateway to other serious offending.
Coordinated cross-agency action under the Response Plan is focussed on disrupting and defeating the criminal elements conducting the crime and the methodologies they are using, while also developing prevention measures to protect the community."

The independent online study was conducted by Di Marzio Research and surveyed 1200 people from across Australia.