Adults across the UK are increasingly fatalistic about their level of online risk. That is according to new study by YouGov plc for the IT security product company Kaspersky Lab. As a result, consumers are exposing themselves to high risk of online identity theft which could result not only in financial loss, but also in the headache which surrounds the repercussions, it is claimed. Half the online adults surveyed believe cybercriminals can hack into any computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet they set their sights on; a perception likely to be influenced by film images of experts hacking easily into even the most secure-looking, password-protected and sophisticated computers and smartphones.
Only a minority of the 2,008 online adults surveyed have bothered to install any additional internet security software which can protect consumers whilst banking online. Instead, 80 per cent of those who bank online rely mainly or solely on the bank’s own pre-installed security systems and just 45 per cent have added their own security. Over a third (39 per cent) of respondents say they have confidence in the bank’s security systems; a figure that could also reflect a general impression that the bank will cover the cost of any financial losses incurred fraudulently. Yet consumers are not taking into consideration the emotional effects and the time and effort they will need to spend recovering the online theft.
Ramadeep Sahota, a 24-year-old from Reading was unlucky enough to experience a cybercriminal attack when her personal details were exposed whilst shopping online without sufficient internet protection. She says: “Somehow I managed to disclose my online banking information to the wrong people – cyber criminals. Over a period of a few weeks, the online fraudsters took a series of very small payments directly from my bank account – varying in amounts from £1 to £35. This stealthy method of theft meant that I didn’t notice all the money was leaving my account until nearly £200 had been taken. At this point I contacted my bank to alert them to the fact I was experiencing theft. Although the money was recovered eventually by my bank, it took over five months to resolve and I had to spend hours on the phone to the bank trying to prove that the payments were made fraudulently. Online theft definitely isn’t something I’ll take lightly again.”
David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, said: “The research findings suggest that when it comes to online information or identity theft a growing number of consumers are convinced there is little they can do to prevent a determined hacker from succeeding.
“Today we are bombarded with glamorous images in TV dramas and the latest blockbusters of people breaking easily into hard drives and phones and getting their hands on someone’s entire digital life. Coupled with growing consumer confusion about the whole cyber risk landscape – an online search of the term cyber-threat today returns nearly 11 million results – it is not surprising that people are feeling overwhelmed and opting for inaction. However, the risks of such inaction should not be underestimated. We have seen how financially and emotionally devastating cybercrime can be, and work hard to help consumers address the risks they can see and the ones they can’t.”
The IT firm says simple measures can be taken to minimise the risk involved in everyday online activities, all of which drastically reduce the threat of becoming cybercrime’s next victim. Emm suggests these tips for staying safe online:
Use an effective internet security product
Keep your operating system up-to-date
Keep all applications up-to-date
Use a secure browser.
Practise safe computing, eg. use unique passwords for all online accounts – at least eight characters and a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols.
Don’t ‘jailbreak’ or root your mobile device.
Don’t install apps from untrusted sources
Don’t use untrusted wi-fi networks for confidential transactions
Don’t just rely on a simple PIN for your mobile device.
Secure any confidential data on your computer or mobile device.
