Kaspersky Lab has updated the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index, a set of parameters that allow it to evaluate risk levels for internet users worldwide. The index for the second half of 2016 shows a positive trend: the number of people concerned about its security - and ready to protect itself from digital threats - is constantly increasing.
The index is based on an online survey involving Internet users from around the world and conducted by Kaspersky Lab twice a year. In the second half of 2016, 17.377 people responded from 28 countries.
This year, the index has undergone a slight change: the main indicators have been revised to better reflect the digital life of users in different countries. Currently, Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index contains three main indicators:
· Indifferent - the percentage of users who do not believe they can be targeted by digital crime.
· Unprotected - the number of users who have not installed a security solution on their computers, tablets, and smartphones.
· Victims - the percentage of users who have been the victims of digital crime. In the second half of 2016, the list of incidents related to this index increased significantly.
Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index users can now see statistics on specific financial losses that have occurred as a result of digital crime activity, and they can also compare data from different user groups (for example, using smartphones among the elderly in the US and young people in Sweden).
The global index for the second half of the year (Indifferent — Unprotected — Victims) was 74-39-29. This means that 74% of users do not believe that they can become a victim of digital criminals, 39% of respondents do not uses security solutions on its connected devices and 29% of those surveyed have been "infected" by digital attacks in recent months. Last year's index was 79-40-29, which means that 6 months ago more people believed they were invulnerable and preferred to remain unprotected.
The percentage of victims of digital crime remains the same (29%) because this indicator in the current update has changed. To get a clearer picture, the list of digital threats now includes “financial scams ” and “devices used for digital attacks”, without which the average rate of “victims” worldwide could be 27% instead of 29%. In fact, this means that the number of victims in the second half of 2016 decreased at the same time as the responsibility of users regarding their personal safety increased.
For example, the number of users who encountered malicious preletterdecreased from 22% to 20%. The cost to remove the effects of "contamination" has been reduced from $121 to $92. However, the percentage of those who have fallen victim to other types of threats has increased. For example, the number of users who fell victim to ransomware, phishing, data theft and data leaks increased. At the same time, the average amount of money stolen by online fraudsters increased from $472 to $482.
"Kaspersky Lab's Digital Security Index for the second half of 2016 shows positive dynamics that we hope will continue. At Kaspersky Lab, we are doing everything we can to inform as many people as possible about the digital threats and how to deal with them. Our goal is to make the digital world safe for everyone. We are working for a world where people do not lose their data, their digital identity and their money due to the mechanisms of digital criminals. The Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index is one of the steps to this goal, "said Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business, Kaspersky Lab.
In addition to the Index itself and financial losses, the site contains additional information that creates a picture of the modern Internet user. For example, statistics for the site show that the number of Internet-connected devices in an average family continues to grow: in the first half of the year, there were 5,9 devices per family, while in the second half this number reached 6,3 ,59. It is also evident that more and more users use online banking services (77% in the first half compared to XNUMX% in the second), make online markets (73% vs. 90%) and use digital payment systems (44% vs. 65%).
