The Pew Research Center has found that over half of American citizens have been
victims of data breaches in recent years.
The online security survey, released on 26 January
this year, revealed that 64% of adults in the US have either reported or were
notified of a data breach that had impacted their personal data.
Respondents’ answers highlighted that credit card
fraud was the most common form for a data breach to take, with 41% of Americans
having fallen victim to it. 35% had experienced their personal data (such as
account numbers) being compromised, while 6% found someone else to have
impersonated them to file a tax return.
Along with data breaches and threats from
cybercriminals, the survey found Americans to lack trust in the federal
government and social media platforms when it came to protecting their personal
data.
Of the 1,040 adults who took part in the survey,
49% believed their personal data to be less secure than it was five years ago.
Older citizens were significantly less trusting.
While data breaches are a growing problem,
citizens around the world are not doing enough to protect themselves online.
Despite having a lack of trust in the safety of
their personal data, the results showed that the majority of Americans fail to
implement extra safety measures themselves.
While experts advise against disclosing a password
to a friend or family member for an online account, 41% of participators
admitted to having done this.
It was also found that 69% of adults didn’t worry
about how secure their online password was – even if they had previously
experienced a data breach.
According to the study, neither are Americans
prioritizing personal mobile security as they should. 28% of smartphone owners
admitted they didn’t have a screen lock set up on their device, while 10% of
users have never installed updates on their mobiles.
When it comes to online banking safety, 54% said
they have accessed their bank online via an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
Organizations are not doing enough to protect themselves online either, as
reported by a study carried out in November 2016.
Both surveys highlight that more needs to be done
to educate citizens about staying safe online through adapting simple
measures in everyday life.