Remember the Y2K Millenium Bug? The UK government spent over £20 million on adverts and hoardings that scared everyone witless about computer crashes on New Year's Day 2000; and spent a lot more on expert teams of advisers.

There were no crashes, which is just as well because the experts had never advised anyone how to safely predict a crash, or prevent a crash or recover from a crash.

The government's new Digital Britain report pledges £200 m to ensure that everyone can have at least 2 Mbps broadband by 2012.

"Broadband is now an essential utility", Siôn  (pronounced Shaun) Simon, Creative Industries Minister, told the British Video Association at its Annual General Meeting in London recently. "But 2.5 million people can't have it."

Yes, indeed. Recent research by Cisco found the UK 25th out of 66 countries in the quality of its broadband network - with Latvia and Bulgaria better prepared for next-generation broadband applications.

There is another problem for Digital Britain. As anyone who repairs PCs will know, there is currently a virus and spyware pandemic.

PCs are sold like bags of sweets, even given away with phone subscriptions, and many owners are almost totally ignorant of the need to use virus protection and keep it up to date.

Even with good protection, there are still risks from apparently respectable websites, with posted pictures and videos inadvertently infected.

So, I asked the Minister whether there were any plans for some Y2K-style education.

"That's a very interesting point. Is it a real problem? Is it true that even you people are ignorant?" he answered, with refreshing frankness and apparently genuine concern.

I left with high hopes that perhaps there was at last someone in a high place who might show some serious interest in a serious problem that can only get worse as more people get computers and broadband.

 The next day I got an email from the Minister's personal assistant, which dashed those hopes.

 "You asked yesterday what the Government are doing to educate the public about computer viruses. Please find below some information that I hope will help answer your question."

The key initiative in this area is Get Safe Online - http://www.getsafeonline.org/ which is a joint initiative between Government, IT suppliers and service providers.

 The UKOnline Centres also provide support and guidance on basic computer safety and use.

 And DirectGov provides a central resource on the subject  - http://tinyurl.com/ycv38ef

Oh dear. This online material reads like a benefits or tax pamphlet - and will only be found and read by people who proactively look for it.

The people most at risk won't know or care that it is there.

Viruses and spyware that stealthily steal identities, bank and credit card details represent an infinitely more serious threat than the Y2K bug and need a much more aggressive approach than lightly politely websites that people are left to search for.

What's needed is a completely different style of warning, written by people who really understand the technical risks that undermine the whole Digital Britain strategy.

By definition, politicians and civil servants and advertising and PR people are unlikely to understand the risks because they have professional IT support to shield them from risks.

The only hope now is that someone near and dear to Minister Simon or his PA gets hit with a horrid PC virus.

Barry Fox