NEW DELHI, Nov 17: Device users, who fell victim to cybercrime within the past one year, often continue with their unsafe behaviour oblivious of the risks like sharing passwords or leaving their devices unprotected, a report by software security firm Norton says.
The annual Norton Cyber Security Insights Report found about 18 per cent respondents from India saying they have at least one unprotected device, leaving their other devices vulnerable to ransomware, malicious websites, zero days and phishing attacks.
About 79 per cent respondents said they know they must actively protect their information online, but they still share passwords and engage in other risky behaviour.
“While quoting various reasons for not protecting their devices, 36 per cent said they don’t do anything ‘risky’ online, and 23 per cent believed security measures would slow them down,” Ritesh Chopra, Country Manager at Norton by Symantec, said.
He added that while people are increasingly growing aware of the need to protect their personal information online, they aren’t motivated yet to take adequate precautions to stay safe, he added.
“While consumers remain complacent, hackers are refining their skills and adapting their scams to further take advantage of people, making the need for consumers to take some action increasingly important,” he said.
The report is based on an online survey of 20,907 device users aged over 18, across 21 markets. This includes input from 1,028 Indians.
About 64 per cent of the respondents admitted that it has become harder to stay safe online over the past five years.
However, millennials exhibit surprisingly slack online security habits and are happy to share passwords that compromise their online safety (34 per cent). Many consumers are still willing to click on links from senders they don’t know or open malicious attachments.
“This is likely why they remain the most common victims of cybercrime, with 55 per cent having experienced cybercrime in the past year,” the report said.
Such risky behaviour has led to a rise in cybercrime. One in three (33 per cent) respondents said they have either experienced ransomware themselves or know someone who has.
“Cybercrime isn’t going away and consumers must reject complacency to adequately protect themselves. By adopting a few basic behaviours, we can make big strides in mitigating cybercrime risk,” Chopra said.
The report also found a growing fondness for Wi-Fi but highlighted that people often underestimate the accompanied risks. (PTI)
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