E-billing blunder exposes 1 000 passwords

Demon Internet sent out a spreadsheet via an e-mail attachment containing the personal details of a thousand customers from its e-billing solution, reports PC Pro.

Demon Internet refused to disclose how many customers have received the spreadsheet, although it says it's less than a few thousand.

Police forces and NHS trusts are among the e-mail addresses listed in the database. Demon Internet blames human error for the security breach, saying it affected customers who had signed up to Demon's new paperless billing platform.

Households in the UK will be taxed for having a fixed-line telephone as early as next year, to help fund high-speed broadband networks, states Moneywise.

Profits from the new tax, expected to be around £175 million (R2 billion) a year, are needed to fund high-speed broadband networks. This is to ensure that 90% of Britain has access to next-generation broadband by 2017.

Michael Phillips, product director of broadbandchoices.co.uk, advises households stung by line rental hikes to move onto paperless bills known as e-billing. He adds that paying by direct debit could save a household as much as £5 (R60) per month compared to paying by cheque.

Mobile phone users will soon be able to slash their bills by helping answer technical or other problems experienced by fellow users, according to the Guardian.

GiffGaff, a new operator owned by 02 and opening in Britain later this year, plans to reward customers who help with its day-to-day running.

It believes it will be the first "people-powered" mobile phone operator. While it will have a small contact centre in Northern Ireland for billing inquiries, users will be encouraged to get involved in everything from recruiting customers to answering queries through online forums and blogs.