Broadband providers that offer cybersecurity services are in line with what customers want, according to Safewise’s updated “State of Safety” report.
Online crime is increasingly center stage. Last year, the report says, one in seven Americans adopted new cybersecurity tools. That’s not surprising considering that one-third of the 5,000 respondents to the organization’s survey said they’ve experienced a cybercrime and reported it. Utah, at 48%, had the highest rate of self-reported cybercrime.
According to the report, the top cybersecurity tools people use are antivirus software (47%), credit monitoring (31%), password managers (24%), anti-malware software (24%), virtual private networks (22%), and identity protection (15%).
Two different prisms were used to see where online security resonates with survey participants. Fear of online scams, identity theft, and fraud tied at 6%. A tad lower on the list (at 5%) was fear of hacking and data breaches. It tied with assault and harassment and aggressive drivers and road rage.
“For the first time, cybercrimes topped the list of crime concerns, especially for older adults, who reported increased concern and increased experiences with cybercrime last year,” Rebecca Edwards, Safewise’s managing editor and lead safety expert, wrote in the cybersecurity report. “Violent crimes and gun violence are the second-highest concerns, with younger adults (below 55) and women reporting the most concern.”
There also was a wide spread of ways in which people protect themselves. These include not clicking on suspicious links and texts (77%); enabling two-factor identification (70%); updating devices and apps (69%); following password best practices (61%); backing up devices and data (44%); using a password manager for each site, device, or app (37%); and getting IT help from a trusted friend or family member (14%).