Identities Stolen From 1 In 4 Internet Users

By   ISBuzz Team
Writer , Information Security Buzz | Sep 30, 2022 06:03 am PST

Today, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and CybSafe launch the annual ‘Oh, Behave! The Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors report’, which studies 3,000 individuals across the U.S., the UK and Canada towards cybersecurity.  

Some of the key findings reveal: 

  • Nearly half (45%) are connected to the internet all the time 
  • Increased connectivity has resulted in almost a quarter (24%) suffering from identity theft 
  • More than 1 in 3 (36%) have lost money or data due to a phishing attack  
  • The study also revealed that 23% have experienced cyberbully, while 17% percent have suffered from a romance scam 

Further findings revealed poor password hygiene still plagues online users with only 33% using a unique password for important online accounts, while only 16% utilise passwords of over 12 characters in length.  

Furthermore, only 18% of participants have downloaded a stand-alone password manager, while 43% of respondents have not even heard of multi-factor authentication. 

When it comes to phishing scams, 70% of respondents revealed they are confident in their ability to identify a malicious email, yet only 45% will confirm the authenticity of a suspicious email by reaching out to the apparent sender. This is even in spite of the massive surge in impersonation scams hitting consumers today which are costing victims an average of £1610. 

The research also revealed that while cybercrime continues, individuals are not underestimating the threats that cybercrime presents.  

  • 57% of respondents expressed they were worried about cybercrime 
  • 43% felt they were likely cybercrime targets.  
  • 78% consider staying secure online a priority and two-thirds (66%) think it is ‘achievable.’  
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Lisa Plaggemier
Lisa Plaggemier , Executive Director
September 30, 2022 2:16 pm

We are nearing a point where everyone will be connected to the internet all the time, and unfortunately, that means everyone has the potential to be vulnerable to basic cyberattacks. Businesses, organizations, schools and even friends and family need to make the adoption of security behaviors a priority. Increasing adoption and eliminating setbacks during the overall process of remaining safe and secure needs to be an all hands on deck approach.

Last edited 1 year ago by Lisa Plaggemier
Oz Alashe
Oz Alashe , CEO
September 30, 2022 2:06 pm

One of the biggest misconceptions is the belief that people are the weakest link in cybersecurity. The combination of evolving threats coupled with more people accessing the Internet daily for work and recreation means people-related cybersecurity risk must be reassessed. It also makes education and implementation of fundamental cybersecurity practices more important than ever before. MFA, password managers and other ‘basic’ cybersecurity best practices have been shown to be incredibly effective in thwarting cyber criminals, yet adoption continues to be a big problem. We need to find a way to break through the age-old misperceptions that these steps are annoying or cumbersome and replace them with the facts: these tools can significantly lower the chances of becoming a cybercrime victim.

Last edited 1 year ago by oz.alashe

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