Cybersecurity experts are rigorously working to devise solutions for the ever-expanding attack tactics that cybercriminals come up with, there is ample research conducted in the sphere of cybersecurity as cyber police actively monitor and counter the increasingly sophisticated cybercrime. There are a number of applications and software that could be installed yet the crime rate has continued to quadruple which is indicative of the security loopholes.
The National Cybersecurity Alliance and CybSafe published a report in which the firm polled 2,000 individuals across the U.S. and UK; the report’s key findings include cybersecurity trends, attitudes, and behaviors ahead of Cybersecurity Awareness Month this month.
Lisa Plaggemier, Interim Executive Director, National Cybersecurity Alliance said that “The cybersecurity threat landscape is as complex and diverse as it has ever been. The daily headlines of data breaches and ransomware attacks is a testament to the problem getting worse, yet most people aren’t aware of the simple steps they can take to be a part of the solution. It’s critical to have a deeper understanding of both the challenges we face and the prevailing attitudes and behaviors among the public.”
“Cybersecurity is about more than just tools, it’s about people,” said Oz Alashe, CEO at CybSafe. “Too often people are forgotten in cybersecurity conversations.”
According to the research results, millennials (44%) and Gen Z (51%) have experienced more cyberattacks than baby boomers (21%). Meanwhile, 25% of millennials and 24% of Gen Zers have disclosed that their private data has been breached more often in comparison to baby boomers. Subsequently, 79% of baby boomers disclosed that they had never been a victim of cybercrime.
As per a survey, executing commonly known tech security measures such as strong passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and others are the best way to protect the system.
The corresponding responses of the public are as mentioned below:
Password rules: 46% of respondents said that they go with different passwords for every online account, 20% said that they never or rarely do so. While 43% said that they create a long and unique password either “always” or “very often.”
Software update installation lagging: 31% of respondents said they either sometimes, rarely, or never install software updates. Whereas, 48% of respondents said that they don’t know what MFA is.
“Despite the myth that older individuals are more likely to be susceptible to cybercriminals and their tactics, our research has uncovered that younger generations are far more likely to recognise that they have been a victim of cybercrime,” said Plaggemier.
“This is a stark reminder for the technology industry that we cannot take cybersecurity awareness for granted among any demographic and need to focus on the nuances of each different group. And, clearly, we need to rethink perceptions that younger individuals are more tech-savvy and engage more frequently in cybersecurity best practices than older technology users.”
The report further substantiated that 34% of individuals have personally been a victim of a data breach. Of these individuals, 51% reported that they experienced data breaches more than once. While 19% of respondents said that they have been a victim of identity theft. Out of those who were a victim of cybercrime, 61% told that they did not report the incident.
