A SURVEY of 2,000 American adults found that the average American knows very little about cybersecurity and is vulnerable to online scams, a survey shows.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of AT&TThe survey found that while 70 percent of people feel knowledgeable about cybersecurity, the average person still encounters a suspicious online site or social media account 6.5 times a day.
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The results showed that only 39 percent know that suspicious sites can spread malware and viruses on their computers, and more than half (54 percent) were unaware of the difference between active and passive cybersecurity threats.
Passive cybersecurity threats attack your devices without you even taking any action.
The survey also found that 69 percent of consumers believe they can identify suspicious websites at a glance – and share that they know these sites pose potential risks for identity theft (45 percent).
But even with this in mind, consumers admit to deliberately visiting unauthenticated sites – recognizable as websites with lots of popups, no “s” in the http to define “safe”, etc. – to stream major sporting events, such as the US Open and MLB games (38 percent), or to download a hard-to-find song or video game (37 percent), and even buy supplies for a big discount (36 percent).
And when it comes to their password protection, most people are reactive rather than proactive (34 percent), taking action only when alerted to a login from another device.
Forty-two percent of respondents also admit to using the same password for multiple logins, and 31% even use their date of birth as their password.
“Whether browsing websites or apps, our results show that less than 40% of people consider common security risks, with less than a third considering network intrusion (32%) and rogue mobile apps or software (31%),” says Josh. Goodell, Vice President of Broadband Technology Management at AT&T.
“One way people can reduce their cybersecurity risks around the house is by using a VPN or virtual private network to encrypt their data and prevent potential hackers from tracking their online activities.”
To magnify the ever-changing risks of cyberspace, respondents noted that on average, they have about eight connected devices at home, such as smart TVs, thermostats and doorbells.
And nearly half (47 percent) of those who use these devices consider them a security risk.
Another common risk consumers face is receiving emails from unknown senders.
Nearly half (48 percent) said they received an email from someone they don’t know asking them to click on something, and 47 percent received an email or text about winning a lottery or lottery that they did not participate.
Forty-five percent have even received a call from someone claiming to be from a government agency — a particularly disturbing statistic, given that 36 percent are more likely to respond to a message from someone they don’t know if it appears to be from an official organization .
Security risks will always be a part of the internet experience.
But maintaining a proactive approach while leveraging the security technology at our disposal will only mitigate these risks.
“By combining your own proactive security practices with an Internet service provider that offers security features such as authentication, malicious site blocking, and antivirus scanning, you can protect against potential threats and provide peace of mind for your overall connected experience,” Goodell says. added.