We all know that there are differences between men and women and we have all heard stereotypes such as: “women don’t drive well” and “men don’t talk about their feelings”. But what about the digital world? Does gender play a role in safe browsing on the Internet? Have online criminals already adapted their tactics based on the preferences of each gender? Research by international organizations, specialized scientists, and Kaspersky Lab, highlights the security risks that men and women face on the Internet [1].
According to the United Nations and Eurostat database [2], there are no significant differences between men and women in terms of Internet use. In 2003, 19% of men in Greece used the Internet, with the corresponding percentage for women being 13%. In proportion, the situation has not changed much over time, with 64% of Greek men and 56% of Greek women surfing online in 2013.
However, there are differences in the way the two sexes use the Internet. These differences are particularly evident when it comes to electronic games, videos and music, areas where men are more active than women. On the other hand, women use social networking sites more than men [3].
“Research in the field of cyberpsychology shows gender differences in Internet use, but also in the way they perceive risks on the Internet. Women use social media more, such as Facebook and Twitter, for social interaction, while men focus more on online games, online shopping, information search and social support. Although each online environment presents its own risks, men seem to be more vulnerable online because they seem to take – as in the real world – more risks than women, downplaying the possibility of “falling” victims, as well as the severity of the consequences,” explains Kyriaki G. Giota, MSc., PhD Candidate at the University of Thessaly.
Overall, we can say that both genders are active on social media. Humans are social beings and seek contact with others, both in real life and online. However, women are more active on these sites. For them, communicating with others is more important than opportunities for direct competition. Social networking sites perfectly satisfy this need [3].
A recent survey by Kaspersky Lab of users across Europe [4]confirms that there are gender differences in the consequences of malware infection. 17% of men admitted to having suffered financial losses due to malware, compared to 14% of women.
Additionally, 16% of men said that unwanted software was installed on their computer when they downloaded music, software, videos, etc. Similar situations have been faced by 11% of women. At the same time, 19% of men believe that online money theft is a rare phenomenon and that it is unlikely that they will face it. On the contrary, only 13% of women agreed with this statement.
“Both men and women need to understand what they are doing online and what they should be aware of for their digital security,” said Dragan Martinovic, Managing Director for the Southeastern Europe region at Kaspersky Lab. “Since women use social media more, they should, for example, pay more attention to phishing attacks targeting Facebook users. Men who frequently visit gaming, music or video sites should be aware of the dangers of drive-by downloads,” he added.
According to Kaspersky Lab analysis, last year, 7 of the 20 most widespread Internet parasites threatened users through drive-by-download attacks [5]Drive-by-downloads are currently the biggest threat to users, as their devices can be infected simply by visiting a compromised website.
Regarding social media phishing, Kaspersky Lab analysis [6] shows that, in the first quarter of 2014, almost every 11thattempt the company detected was aimed at stealing login details for Facebook accounts.
More information and ways to protect users' personal information are included in Kaspersky Lab's “Social Network Frauds” research, which is available on Securelist.com.
[su_divider top=”no”]
[1] www.kaspersky.com/cyberpsychology
[3] https://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2012.0033 / Richard Joiner, Jeff Gavin, Mark Brosnan, John Cromby, Helen Gregory, Jane Guiller, Pam Maras, and Amy Moon. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. July 2012, 15(7): 370-372. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0033
[4] The survey was conducted in 2014 by B2B International on behalf of Kaspersky Lab. A total of 11,135 users from 23 countries participated, 2,821 of whom were located in Europe.
[6] https://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2014/Facebook-users-most-likely-targets-of-account-theft
