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Singaporeans have fewer security concerns now as compared to earlier this year, according to the latest Unisys Security Index released today.

Singapore's score fell to 172 from 188 in May. This 16-point drop is the sharpest of all the countries on the September index.

The top three concerns in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong were identity theft, credit card security and health epidemics, while respondents in Australia and New Zealand had issues of personal and national security on their mind.

"People in Asia have more practical concerns. Things like identity theft and fraud happen more frequently than acts of terrorism," said Mr Ian Selbie, practice director for secure business solutions, Unisys Asia Pacific.

In Singapore's case, the decline in the index reflected the fact that Singaporeans are more aware and confident of Internet security.

"They are tech-savvy and use the necessary precautions like firewalls and anti-virus software," said Mr Selbie.

Still, a small but significant group remain easy targets for identity theft or credit card fraud.

One in three of the 910 people surveyed admitted they used birthdays or other significant dates as their security codes. The same proportion never read the privacy policies of organisations with whom they do business.

About 19 per cent also did not destroy private documents such as bank statements before throwing them away. - TODAY/sh

What's on our minds
83% Credit card security
80% Identity theft
65% War or terrorism
61% Personal safety over the next six months
58% Financial obligations
48% Computer security
47% Online shopping and banking security