Only 15 Percent of Responders Know How to Protect their Privacy

May 3, 2019

Forty-two percent of British consumers expect to lose money to online fraud, according to the National Cyber Security Centre's new UK Cyber Survey analysis.

Key findings include:

Only 15 percent say they know a great deal about how to protect themselves online. Younger and more affluent respondents are more aware and more likely to take protective actions.
Almost half (46 percent) agree most information about how to be secure online is confusing.
80 percent say cybersecurity is a high priority, though this does not mean they take action; some groups most likely to say it is a priority are least likely to take protective action.
Prevalence of always/often taking protective behaviors ranges from 21 percent saving passwords using a password manager, to 75 percent who use password, passcode or PIN to unlock devices.
The most prevalent online security considerations are protecting privacy and avoiding money being stolen (52 percent and 51 percent respectively, thinking about these ‘a lot’ when online).
70 percent believe they will likely be a victim of at least one specific type of cybercrime over the next two years and most feel there would be a big personal impact.
Just over one in three (37 percent) agree that losing money or personal details over the internet is unavoidable these days.
One in three (34 percent) rely to some extent on friends/family for help on cybersecurity; older people aged 65+ are particularly reliant.

Ransomware and the propulsion of the extortion economy has rapidly eclipsed into a national priority. Recently, we observed the catastrophic impact of a widescale ransomware attack impacting gas pipelines and raising national gas prices overnight.