GETTY How much data are you indadvertedly sharing online?

British consumers are putting their most personal information at risk of being stolen online by failing to monitor what companies can do with their data. New research from security firm Trend Micro found that millions of Brits could be at risk due to unclear rules or not having the right knowledge about privacy laws. A huge majority of consumers said that they are uncomfortable with the amount of information they share with major sites such as Facebook and Google, and would prefer these companies to keep their data private.

GETTY Could you be in danger of over-sharing online?

In a nationwide survey, almost half of respondents said that they were unaware of the need to “opt-out” of data sharing when signing up to many new services or accounts. Failing to do this, which is often a matter of simply ticking or unpicking a small box at the bottom of a login page, can allow companies to share your details online, meaning you could get bombarded by spam emails, messages, or phone calls. And this has affected many consumers to feel that they are not in control of their online data, making them wary about the amount of information they share online.

Overall, online dating sites were found to be the least trusted by the public, as 84 per cent respondents said they are not doing enough to protect their data. This was closely followed by social networking sites and gaming networks, both of which were found to be guilty of oversharing Companies were also warned about the risk that data breaches could have on the trust of their customers, particularly in the wake of recent large-scale attacks such as the one that hit TalkTalk last year, which saw the details of hundreds of thousands of customers leaked. Nearly a third of respondents to Trend Micro's survey said that they would definitely stop using a product or a service from a private sector company that suffered a data breach in which customer data was compromised.

GETTY Your data is more valuable than ever before, and hackers want to gain access

Bharat Mistry, cybersecurity consultant at Trend Micro, said, “Internet users are increasingly aware of the value of their personal data and are right to be concerned about how it is being used.” “With high profile data breaches all too common, consumers are right to be increasingly diligent with how their data is shared. This growing consumer awareness will hopefully force many companies to employ more stringent data protection procedures for the benefit of all.” Think you've been hit by a cyber attack? Read Express.co.uk's guide to what steps to take next.

David Reed, Director of Research at data experts DataIQ, adds that when it comes to sharing our personal information online, it’s often a case of ‘buyer beware’, but and also ‘brands behave’ He notes, "Services we use every day, like search and social networks, are provided free. In return, those companies use our data to target ads. Fair enough when we get a good experience. But not when we are asked for too much - does a free wi-fi network need to know your date of birth, for example?” “The data collected should be limited to a specific purpose, stored safely and only kept for as long as appropriate. Does that mean a social network can keep all your personal data forever because you manage your whole life on it? No - and we are increasingly choosing alternative brands that do not make excessive data demands.”

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