Almost half of respondents have been the victim of a cyber attack or scam, according to a new global survey.
In a survey of 20,000 working adults around the world, 45% reported that their personal data, such as bank account information or email account information, had been compromised through hacking or fraud.
In fact, nearly half admit to reacting to cyber threats rather than proactively defending against them in their personal lives (45%) and at work (44%).
Respondents also say that, thanks to artificial intelligence, online scams and phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated (72%) and more successful (66%).
In line with October's Cyber Security Awareness Month, Ubico conducted a global survey, bringing together respondents from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Poland, Singapore, France, Germany, and Sweden, to investigate the global impact of cyber insecurity in both the personal and corporate spheres. We commissioned an investigation.
Half of respondents (50%) revealed that they had been exposed to a cyber-attack at work in the past year. Of these, less than a quarter (23%) said their companies will require cybersecurity training in the future.
20% of people whose personal data was hacked reported that a cyber attacker successfully hacked one or more personal accounts, including bank accounts and email accounts.
Revealing the multi-layered side effects of successful hacking and fraud, 22% said they lost money as a result and 30% doubted whether their personal information would ever be safe again.
Additionally, for 50% of respondents who have had their personal passwords compromised through hacking or data breaches, the most commonly compromised passwords were those protecting social media accounts (44%).
So why are these hacking attempts so successful?
The survey found that 39% believe that simply using a username and password is the safest way to protect their account and information.
In fact, this is the most common form of account protection used by respondents.
“Passwords are the go-to way to log in to your accounts and protect your information, but they are inherently insecure,” said Derek Hanson, vice president of standards and alliances at Yubico. “People tend to reuse passwords or use weak passwords across multiple accounts, allowing hackers to break into multiple accounts with a single login. In addition, today's phishing attacks Due to sophistication, people are often tricked into sharing their passwords. Using usernames and passwords to protect your accounts and information is the least secure form of data protection.”
Nevertheless, for those reporting a workplace cyber-attack, the most common means of “resecuring” their information is simply performing a username and password reset for their corporate account. Yes (30%).
Additionally, 20% said their company only updates technology and security policies “as needed.”
Surprisingly, given the lack of up-to-date cybersecurity protocols in the workplace, respondents believe that the measures in place to protect workplace information are stronger than those to protect personal information. (70% vs. 63%).
Yubico/SWNS
With this in mind, it's no surprise that for respondents around the world, having their personal account hacked (24%) is the top cybersecurity fear that keeps them up at night.
“Surveys show that people feel their data is safe, but research proves the opposite,” says Hanson. “To make matters worse, many people have been hacked and scammed across a variety of platforms. Almost half of those hacked had their social media accounts compromised. This is especially worrying given that accounts often contain sensitive data such as credit card information and communications with friends and family, which is a great opportunity for both businesses and individuals to reconsider their data protection. We recommend using more secure measures such as multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
Common personal passwords that have been compromised
Social media account passwords – 44%
Payment app password – 24%
Online retailer account password – 21%
Messaging app passwords – 17%
Banking app password – 13%
Video streaming service password – 12%
Insurance account password – 7%
Medical Patient Portal Password – 6%
Research method:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 working adults in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Poland, Singapore, France, Germany, and Sweden. This research was commissioned by Yubico and administered and conducted online by Talker Research from July 22, 2024 to August 12, 2024.
