Despite the increasing prevalence of cyber crime in the Netherlands, 57% of computer users have still not installed anti-virus software and less than one third have made their passwords more complex, according to new research for the justice ministry and counter terrorism unit NCTV.

And even though one in 10 people was said to be the victim of cyber crime last year, half of the victims have still done nothing to protect themselves, the research shows.

‘People protect their homes with double locks and alarms but when it comes to the digital world, they leave their back doors open,’ justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus told the AD in a reaction to the research.

Nevertheless, 44% of those polled said they were worried about cyber crime – identity theft in particular. Just over 1,000 people were involved in the research.

The justice ministry budget includes an extra €30m to combat cyber crime, most of which will go on expanding policy capacity. The Netherlands is a ‘structural target’ when it comes to spying or sabotage, the minister said.

The most common forms of cyber crime which people have come into contact with are phishing (56%) and social media messages from unknown sources with links (37%), the research showed.