Increased use of the internet has produced a number of commonplace threats, according to one security vendor.

Mark Brooks, marketing director at Global Security One, pointed to a recent Panorama programme that highlighted the potential online dangers to children, 12 per cent of whom had met with a stranger they found online.

"The explosion in social networking has meant a rise in online threats, as cyber-criminals create attacks targeting users to gather personal information," he said. "In online banking, fraud is a very real threat for many internet users."

Card-not-present fraud has reached more than £212m per annum, but Brooks believes that this is "just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to overall online financial losses".

Global Security One's latest product is designed to combat common issues posed by the internet.

"With the increase in criminal activity on the web, our aim is to make the internet safer, without limiting or restricting use," said Brooks.

Global Security One's XGate device is designed to remove the need for a separate router and security software by combining both aspects.