By Zeba Fatima
A new survey from Webroot of 1,637 Internet users aged 18 and older, has shown Australians view online risks as dangerous as off line behaviour such as driving without a seatbelt or automobile insurance.
Using a computer without security software is seen as riskier than leaving the door to one's home or car unlocked. 85% say using a computer with security is high-risk, 83% think leaving one's car or front door unlocked is high-risk.
Sharing a password is nearly as risky as driving without a seatbelt or driving without automobile insurance. 85% feel sharing a password is high-risk, versus 88% for driving without insurance.
Making a credit card purchase from an unknown website is riskier than sharing personal information over the phone. 75 % perceive the online purchase as high-risk, but only 65 % feel the same amount of risk when disclosing information over the phone.
Adults feel more threatened opening an email attachment from an unknown person than arranging an in-person meeting with someone they've met online. 81% viewed the email attachment as high-risk, but only 72% feel the same level of risk about an in-person meeting.
"It is encouraging to see that people are aware of the risks posed by online threats," Jacques Erasmus, chief information security officer, Webroot said.
"Today's Internet users share an increasing amount of personal information online, and cyber criminals target security loopholes and careless practices to carry out everything from credit fraud to identity theft. Our findings show that people are cognisant of these risks, and savvier about the importance of practicing safe online behaviours."
A new survey from Webroot of 1,637 Internet users aged 18 and older, has shown Australians view online risks as dangerous as off line behaviour such as driving without a seatbelt or automobile insurance.
Using a computer without security software is seen as riskier than leaving the door to one's home or car unlocked. 85% say using a computer with security is high-risk, 83% think leaving one's car or front door unlocked is high-risk.
Sharing a password is nearly as risky as driving without a seatbelt or driving without automobile insurance. 85% feel sharing a password is high-risk, versus 88% for driving without insurance.
Making a credit card purchase from an unknown website is riskier than sharing personal information over the phone. 75 % perceive the online purchase as high-risk, but only 65 % feel the same amount of risk when disclosing information over the phone.
Adults feel more threatened opening an email attachment from an unknown person than arranging an in-person meeting with someone they've met online. 81% viewed the email attachment as high-risk, but only 72% feel the same level of risk about an in-person meeting.
"It is encouraging to see that people are aware of the risks posed by online threats," Jacques Erasmus, chief information security officer, Webroot said.
"Today's Internet users share an increasing amount of personal information online, and cyber criminals target security loopholes and careless practices to carry out everything from credit fraud to identity theft. Our findings show that people are cognisant of these risks, and savvier about the importance of practicing safe online behaviours." |