Norton by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC), today released findings from the annual Norton Cyber Security Insights Report, which sheds light on the truth about online crime and the personal effect it has on people.
The research found New Zealanders who were victims of cybercrime within the past year often continued their unsafe behaviour. For example, while nearly half of people who had been victims used a secure password on every account, more than a third (36 percent) are likely to share their password with others, negating their efforts. Additionally, 46 percent of Kiwis have at least one unprotected device leaving their other devices vulnerable to ransomware, malicious websites, zero days and phishing attacks. Globally, 76 percent of respondents know they must actively protect their information online, but are still sharing passwords and engaging in other risky behaviours.
“Our findings show that New Zealanders are growing increasingly aware of the need to protect their personal information online, but aren’t motivated to take adequate precautions to stay safe,” said Mark Shaw, Technology Strategist, Symantec, Pacific region. “While Kiwis remain complacent, hackers are refining their skills and adapting their scams to further take advantage of people, making it increasingly important to take some action.”
Given the rampant rates of cybercrime the complacency in behaviour is concerning. Within the past year, 689 million people in 21 countries were victims of cybercrime, an increase of 10 percent across the 17 countries that were measured in 2015.
Overconfidence in Connected Devices Leaves People Vulnerable
With every connected home device purchase, people are unknowingly giving hackers a new avenue to launch attacks. In some instances, poor security habits and vulnerabilities in connected devices are letting hackers into Kiwis’ homes.
– 40 percent of connected home device users in New Zealand don’t have any protective measures in place for these devices.
– 36 percent of New Zealanders don’t believe enough people own connected home devices for them to be a target. Yet, just as hackers learned to benefit from targeting social media and financial accounts, they are on their way to learning how access to connected home devices can be lucrative.
– Globally, over six in 10 (62 percent) consumers said they believe connected home devices were designed with online security in mind however, according to Symantec research, in 2015, criminals compromised TVs, toys, refrigerators, doorbells and even medical devices. Symantec researchers also identified security vulnerabilities in 50 different connected home devices ranging from smart thermostats to smart energy management devices, and even security cameras.
New Zealanders Admit the Risks Are Real
The prevalence of cybercrime has merged with peoples’ perception of real-world risks. Many New Zealanders now see cybercrime dangers as equivalent to risks in the real world:
– Two-thirds (67 percent) of New Zealand respondents said that over the past five years, it’s become harder to stay safe online while only half (51 percent) said it has become harder to stay safe and secure in the physical world.
– Almost the same number (64 percent) said they believe entering financial information online when connected to public Wi-Fi is riskier than reading their credit or debit card number aloud in a public place.
Bad Habits Are Hard to Break – Online or Otherwise
Experiencing cybercrime is a potential consequence of living in a connected world, but Kiwis still remain complacent when it comes to protecting their personal information online.
– Millennials exhibit surprisingly slack online security habits, and are happy to share passwords that compromise their online safety (40 percent). This is likely why they remain the most common victims of cybercrime, with 27 percent having experienced cybercrime in the past year.
– Almost half of New Zealanders (48 percent) never connect to a Wi-Fi network using VPN, which can potentially allow a hacker to steal data as it travels on the network.
– Consumers are still willing to click on links from senders they don’t know or open malicious attachments. Globally, nearly three in 10 people cannot detect a phishing attack, with nearly 1 in 4 (23 percent) New Zealanders not being able to determine the difference between a real message and a phishing email.
– An overwhelming majority of Kiwis (93 percent) have Wi-Fi in their homes, to the point it is now ubiquitous, but only 16 percent say it is likely their networks have potential to be compromised. Furthermore, 14 percent of New Zealanders believe only those with connected devices need protection for their Wi-Fi.
Norton Top Tips to Stay Safe Online
Just as we don’t leave our front door open when we head out on holiday, we shouldn’t leave our information vulnerable online. By adopting a few basic behaviours, we can make big strides in mitigating cybercrime risk:
– Avoid password promiscuity: Protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords that use a combination of at least 10 upper and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers to help keep the bad guys at bay. Make it difficult for attackers to access your information by changing your passwords every three months and not reusing passwords for multiple accounts. That way, if a cybercriminal gets your password, they can’t compromise all of your accounts. And if it’s too overwhelming to keep up this practice, use a password manager to help!
– Don’t go on a phishing expedition: Think twice before opening unsolicited messages or attachments, particularly from people you don’t know, or clicking on random links. The message may be from a cybercriminal who has compromised your friend or family member’s email or social media accounts.
– Don’t keep a (dis)connected home: When installing a new network-connected device, such as a router or smart thermostat, remember to change the default password. If you don’t plan on using the Internet feature(s), such as with smart appliances, disable or protect remote access when not needed. Also, protect your wireless connections with strong Wi-Fi encryption so no one can easily view the data traveling between your devices.
Be in control when online: Entrust your devices to security software to help protect you against the latest threats. Protect all your devices with a robust, multi-platform solution, like Norton Security Premium.
Know the ins and out of public Wi-Fi networks: Accessing personal information on unprotected public Wi-Fi is like broadcasting your entire screen on TV – everything you do on a website or through an app, could potentially be exposed. Avoid anything that involves sharing your personal information (paying a bill online, logging in to social media accounts, paying for anything with a credit card, etc.).
To learn more about the real impact of cybercrime and how consumers can protect their digital information, go here for more information.
