Believe it or not, large corporations and billionaires aren’t the only entities susceptible to cyber attacks. Last year, nearly 17 million Americans suffered identity fraud. These are average people, so to speak, that simply failed to take proper precautions when it comes to online security.
Of course, using different passwords across accounts and changing them frequently is a good step in the direction of securing your digital information. Many Americans fail to do even this simple practice. It’s no surprise that a recent study conducted by Panda Security proved that Americans know very little about internet safety.
The survey was comprised of just three questions regarding their awareness and use of VPNs (virtual private networks), frequency of software updates, and knowledge of HTTP and HTTPS sites. The results are dismal at best. Few survey participants are aware of internet safety best practices, and even fewer actually implement them.
It’s crucial to protect your information that is stored online. Otherwise, you could be subject to identity theft, credit card fraud, and other risks that can harm you financially. These malicious activities can also drive your credit score down which has farther reaching implications than losing money in the short-term.
Check out this infographic below that explains all of the results from the survey. Maybe now you’ll think twice before carelessly putting your information online.
