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Brits compromising their own online security

British people are leaving themselves open to online threats and internet security compromises by choosing passwords revealing sensitive or personal information, new research shows.

More than eight in ten (83 per cent) either use their pet name, date of birth or maiden name as a password in email accounts and on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, according to people search website yasni.co.uk.

However, only 37 per cent seem to be aware of the dangers they are putting themselves in by doing so, in spite of high profile hacking cases such as that of Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

According to Steffen Ruehl, the chief executive and founder of the website, sharing information with friends on social networking sites also has its dangers.

"So often you hear about the dangers of talking to strangers online but people forget about the risks of talking to a friend," he said.

"You may be telling your friend your new address or pet name and make your date of birth available for anyone to see online."

Both Facebook and MySpace have recently been in the spotlight for being exploited by cyber crooks.

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