Kaspersky Lab Announces Results of 2015 Consumer Security Risks Survey

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Survey results show 46 percent of consumers believe they are not a target for cyberattacks

WOBURN, MA – August 13, 2015 — /BackupReview.info/ — Kaspersky Lab today announced the 2015 Consumer Security Risks Survey report, which explores consumer behavior and opinions related to their use of connected devices and awareness of current security threats. The study found that although many consumers are aware of cyber threats, most admit that they neglect to properly protect their devices, personal data and families from online risks.

For the study, Kaspersky Lab surveyed over 12,000 consumers aged 16 and older from 26 countries across the world. The study found that a majority consumers stored important personal information on their devices, but they often fail to appropriately protect this sensitive information. In fact, the survey results showed that 88 percent of consumers store personal information on digital devices, including passwords and account login details (48%) and financial data (28%). While several worry this information could get into the hands of cyber criminals, only 36 percent of respondents have implemented strong privacy settings.

Moreover, almost half (46%) of those surveyed believe they are not a target for cyberattacks. Despite the fact that 45 percent admitted that they have encountered a malware incident, 25 percent have experienced account hacking and 48 percent have experienced a financial threat.

The study also found a growing concern about the threats facing older people and children, but again, a lack of preventative action from those concerned consumers. Adult participants worried that older relatives may not know how to protect themselves from malware (52%), online scams (50%) or theft (45%). For children under the age of 18, 61 percent of parents worry that their kids have uncontrolled access to inappropriate content online; however, 76 percent of parents surveyed had not installed parental control software that would help to mitigate such risks.

“Using connected devices without implementing additional security measures is like driving without a seatbelt, you can do it, but it’s dangerous and opens you up to unnecessary risk,” said Brett Schetzsle, regional consumer product marketing group manager, Kaspersky Lab. “Even though our survey indicates the level of concern about cyber threats is high, consumers need to take action now to better protect their themselves and their families. Using security solutions already available, they can greatly reduce their risk with surprisingly little effort on their part.”

A full copy of the report can be found here: https://kas.pr/xMD8

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is one of the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately-owned. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users (IDC, 2014). Since 1997 Kaspersky Lab has been an innovator in cybersecurity and provides effective digital security solutions and threat intelligence for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab is an international company, operating in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 400 million users worldwide.

Learn more at www.kaspersky.com

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Media Contact
Sarah Kitsos
781.503.2615
sarah.kitsos@kaspersky.com
www.kaspersky.com

Source: Kaspersky Lab

Tags: Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab