Most people claim to be able to recognize and avoid phishing attacks. However, a survey by Security.org came to the opposite conclusion. In fact, only 5% of participants were able to identify all types of scams. The survey involved 1,000 people.
Almost all participants (96%) knew what phishing was and 88% said they could give a precise definition. However, about half (47%) were unaware that phishing can occur through software, while 43% believed that all advertising is safe. Also, a significant proportion (30%) were unaware that platforms social media can be sources of phishing.
Phishing is one of the most common threats today. More and more users and businesses are falling victim to phishing attacks. In recent years, attacks have increased by 59%. The FBI has discovered thousands of victims. Phishing is among the top four cybercrimes on the FBI's list (along with extortion, non-delivery, identity theft).
The survey showed that participants' knowledge was significantly affected by age. Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) knew less about online threats and phishing. In contrast, millennials (those born in the early 1980s to the late 1990s-early 2000s) were more familiar with the topic and reported having reservations about the security of software and advertising.
However, the success of phishing is not only due to the lack of knowledge of victims but also to the more sophisticated attack methods used by cybercriminals .
The most worrying finding of the survey is the huge gap between users’ self-confidence and their actual knowledge about phishing. As we mentioned above, most users (88%) stated that they were very confident in their ability to recognize scams, while in reality, only 5% were able to detect them. This means that awareness and education are essential, as most of the time it is people themselves who are responsible for successful attacks, not machines.
