According to a survey conducted by B2B International and Kaspersky Lab, 13% of Internet users do not believe that digital threats are a real risk. Specifically, users feel that the risk of threats is an exaggeration of companies operating in the field of Internet security. However, this indifference leaves users completely unprotected against the dangers that threaten their data and their online activity every day.
According to statistics, even those who admit that digital threats are real are not always sure that they need protection against them. In particular, only 22% of respondents believe that they could be a target of digital criminals. However, in reality, fraudsters are potentially interested in every user’s device. Even if the owner of a device does not store valuable data on it and does not conduct online financial transactions, digital criminals can use any computer, smartphone or tablet. For example, they can join them in a malicious network (botnet) and use them to spread spam messages, DDoS attacks or send phishing links via instant messaging applications and emails.
Almost a third (32%) of users are not worried about their online accounts being compromised or are completely unaware of the risk. Unfortunately, this is not only true for personal pages on social networking sites, but also for online banking accounts, which could expose personal financial details to a cybercriminal. However, many people feel that the chances of facing financial losses from cyberattacks are extremely small. 42% of respondents are unaware or not concerned about the possibility of suffering financial damage. One thing these users do not realize is that such damage is not always due to the direct theft of money from their bank accounts. Malware infections can lead to – among other things – unforeseen expenses, including costs related to IT services, software reinstallation or the temporary unavailability of a device. Overall, 21% of respondents whose devices were infected with malware have suffered financial losses.
According to the survey results, 20% of respondents are not aware that using public Wi-Fi networks poses risks, because data sent over them can be intercepted by cybercriminals. A slightly higher percentage of users (27%) are aware of this threat, but do not believe they need to worry about it. At the same time, however, 55% of respondents use public Wi-Fi networks. In fact, 12% enter their login details on websites and 6% make online payments using these networks.
“Simply put, those who think they are safe because cybercriminals simply won’t bother with them don’t understand the nature of online threats at all. Typically, hackers don’t focus on specific targets, but try to “collect” as many victims as possible. For this reason, it is dangerous to use the Internet without a security solution,” said Elena Kharchenko, Head of Consumer Product Management at Kaspersky Lab.
Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device is a solution that offers effective protection against the most modern Internet threats, without bothering the user or slowing down the performance of a device. It can protect devices running Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X or Google Android. It prevents malware attacks and detects phishing pages or other malicious websites, warning the user about the risks associated with using untrusted Wi-Fi connections, while at the same time allowing smartphone users running Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows Phone to browse the Internet safely.
