Kaspersky research into consumers attitudes towards cyber security has found that most adults (aged 16-55+) believe they are knowledgeable about online security (60%). However, they have become so complacent towards the subject that over a fifth (22%) have still fallen victim to phishing attacks and more concerningly, only 21% have actually taken action, even after they have suffered a breach.
In the UK only 1 in 10 (10%) adults admit having taken preventative action after falling victim to a phishing attack by posting about it on social media to alert others, compared to a quarter (25%) in Greece who said the same, indicating that most adults are not taking the threat of cybercrime seriously enough, despite being aware of its dangers and what could happen.
Commenting on the survey, David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky said: "It's clear that despite understanding the risks of cybercrime, many adults are still playing with fire due to a poor attitude towards online safety. Sharing personal information online and using easily guessable passwords are just two examples of how adults are leaving themselves vulnerable to cyberattacks.
“When we are younger, we are all taught that our actions have consequences – this very much applies to cyber security. If your action is to 'hope it just goes away ', or 'doesn't happen to you', it's only a matter of time until you suffer a breach. In my opinion what is needed is a renewed effort to educate on the real-life implications of becoming a fraud victim.”
Despite knowing the risks, the majority of adults are also still happy to share personal information online, according to the survey. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents, who admit to being a victim of a phishing scam , admit to including personal information such as their name and location on social media channels. Alarmingly, 69% of all adults who admit to being a victim of a phishing scam , are still using personal information, such as their favorite football team and first pet's name, to help them remember their passwords.
Emm concluded, “Cybercrime is only getting more sophisticated, and we cannot afford to be this complacent when it comes to taking action. More adults need to take cybercrime seriously otherwise they and the next generation will pay the price.”
Greater awareness and education around online security is necessary to combat the increasing prevalence of phishing scams and to educate the next generation on the dangers of cybercrime. Kaspersky recommends that all adults take online safety seriously and take the necessary steps to protect themselves from cybercrime. This includes using strong and unique passwords for each online account, not sharing personal information online, and being cautious when clicking on links or opening attachments in emails.
Methodology
Kaspersky Ignorance is Bliss report followed by 5,369 children and 5,665 adults across 7 countries in Europe. The research asked respondents about their understanding around online security, whether they knew what a phishing scam was, how much information they share online and who they relied on to help them identify potential threats.
To download a copy of the report, please visit here
