Kaspersky Lab is launching its Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index - the first global index to measure the current cyber threat levels faced by internet users.

Kaspersky Lab has previously joined forces with B2B International to carry out regular large-scale online surveys in different countries in order to evaluate how internet users behave online, what their concerns are, what issues they face and how they defend themselves against possible threats.

The Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index is based on this data, collected from thousands of users across the globe.

The index combines three key indicators, which are measured every six months and which provide the information needed to monitor the degree of risk to the average internet user.

• The Concerned Indicator shows the percentage of people who believe they may be targeted by a cyber attack. This indicator shows the degree to which users realize the danger to which they are exposed.

• The Affected Indicator identifies how many people have actually fallen victim to cyber attacks during the reporting period - e.g., have faced data leakage or extortion online.

• The Protected Indicator shows the number of users who have installed a security solution on the device they use to access the internet. This is the average figure for all the devices used, including computers and mobile devices.

The Cybersecurity Index (which is described as 21 percent-29 percent -60 percent) is formed from a detailed survey carried out in August 2016, in 21 countries across the globe. According to the data, only one-in-five users (21 percent) currently believe he or she is threatened by anything online. At the same time, almost one third of users (29 percent) have fallen victim to cybercriminal schemes (for example, 8 percent have had their accounts hijacked and 22 percent have had their devices infected by malware).

However, only 60 percent of users have installed security solutions on all the devices they use to access the Internet. The Index demonstrates that, today, many users underestimate cyber threats even after facing them. This attitude inevitably affects their security.

"We created the Index to draw the attention of users, the media and vendors to the issue of cyber security. Many users today, we believe, do not expect to come face-to-face with cyber threats, so they fail to install security solutions on their devices and behave carelessly online. This makes them easy targets for cyber criminals. The Index reflects the results of this approach: today, 29 percent of people have been affected by online threats. We are calling on all Internet users to improve their cyber savviness and adopt a responsible approach, both for their own protection and to that of their loved ones. Security, we believe, must be shared," believes Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab.

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