Web Users Increasingly Wary. This article articulates the challenge we face.

THE PROSPECT OF IDENTITY THEFT has led the majority of online users--53 percent--to stop giving out personal information online, according to a study released Wednesday by Consumer Reports WebWatch. Additionally, 30 percent of consumers report reducing their overall use of the Web, while 25 percent say they no longer make online purchases, according to WebWatch. The report, "Leap of Faith: Using the Internet Despite the Dangers," was based on a survey of 1,501 online adults, conducted earlier this year.