One in every ten Irish computer users has had one or more of their devices infected with a virus or other computer infection.
That is according to research by the EU statistics office, Eurostat, which also found that a tenth of people here are afraid to order goods online or carry out online banking because of security concerns.
In total, 14% of people here have experienced some type of security problem online. These include viruses affecting devices, abuse of personal information, financial losses or children accessing inappropriate websites.
However, that figure is considerably lower than the European average, with around one in every four people across the EU experiencing such difficulties.
Users in the Netherlands had the least problems, with those in Croatia experiencing the most difficulties.
The figures were published to mark Safer Internet Day which takes place tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a new Irish charity is launching tomorrow which aims to educate pre-teen children, their parents and their teachers about online dos and don'ts.
CyberSafeIreland says a lack of awareness and education means pre-teen children are not being adequately protected when using social networking sites.
Data published last year by the Net Children Go Mobile project claimed that of the more than a quarter of pre-teens using social networks here, half of them lied about their age to get onto them.
The new organisation says its experience in schools is that children's use of these platforms is rapidly increasing and that the research likely understates the scale of the problem.
CyberSafeIreland aims to provide classes in 80 schools this year, increasing to 375 over the next two years.
Its programme, targeted at 4th to 6th class pupils, will give advice on how to embrace the opportunities for learning and enjoyment that technology can deliver, whilst equipping them with the tools to avoid harm - particularly on social networks and in internet gaming.
