Research Reveals Cyber Hacked Brits at Critical Level

 

Research* undertaken by internet security and cybercrime solutions provider StayPrivate has revealed that British consumers open themselves to the risks of cybercrimes such as ID theft and fraud, despite claiming to be aware of the cyber threats they face when using personal web based email accounts.

 

More than 1 in 5 people claim that their personal email accounts have been compromised or hacked and of those, over half continue to send personal or confidential information via email, such as bank or passport details. The research also shows that many people accept that their email is prone to hacking, despite a high level of confidence in the security of personal web based email accounts suggesting this confidence is misplaced.

 

These statistics are especially worrying given the most recent high profile hack involving Yahoo that has compromised hundreds of millions of people’s personal information and demonstrate how individuals are not taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves. People continue to send or receive highly sensitive data via unsecure internet channels, despite having a very high level of awareness of the cyber threats they face when using personal web based email accounts. This heightened awareness doesn’t stop Brits from being partially to blame for fuelling the incidence rates with 1 in 8 admitting that they often accidentally email someone they didn’t intend to.

 

Highlights from the research findings are:

  • More than 1 in 5 people have had their emails compromised or hacked
  • Half of people who’ve been hacked continue to send personal and confidential information via personal web based email accounts
  • A staggering 87% of Brits are aware of the cyber threats they face when personal or confidential information is stored within unsecure web based email accounts
  • 82% of individuals are confident that their email account is secure and protects them against cybercrime
  • Despite the high level of confidence, 1 in 7 accept that personal email is prone to hacking
  • On a regular basis 1 in 8 people accidentally email someone they didn’t intend to
  • Of those who are aware of their email account being hacked, more men (58%) than women (42%) admit that they currently send personal or confidential information and will continue to do so

    Commenting on the research findings Rob Reid, founder and COO of StayPrivate, said:

    “Internet cybercrime is a real and present threat to individuals and it is getting worse as more of our data is being sent and stored via unsecure communication channels such as personal email. Our research shows how online consumer behaviour suggests individuals in the UK are not doing enough to protect themselves against the potential of being a victim of cybercrime.

    “People are aware of the cyber threats they face and they are confident that their webmail accounts protect them, but given the recent Yahoo revelations and in particular our research findings, this confidence is misguided with evidence that many people are willingly sending information that heightens their chances of being a victim of cybercrime.

    “Sending or receiving personal and confidential information via personal webmail accounts is inherently unsecure and to the best advice I can give people is to either never send such information or have a standalone solution that offers protection against being hacked and subjected to cybercrime.”

    * The research was conducted in September 2016 where 2,006 UK consumers were surveyed by StayPrivate.

 

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