New cyber-security survey shows alarming lack of knowledge

NZ Taking Unnecessary Risks Online

New cyber-security survey shows alarming lack of knowledge

Auckland, 20 April 2011 - A new survey into New Zealanders' attitudes of cyber and online security behaviour shows that Kiwis are taking unnecessary risks with not only their home computers, but with protection of their financial and personal information.

Two of New Zealand's leading online safety specialists, NetSafe and AVG (AU/NZ) have today released the results of a Cyber Security Survey. The survey is the first of its kind undertaken in this country to quantify New Zealanders' perceptions of online safety and their use of protection mechanisms for their online activities.

More than 87 percent of the respondents in the NetSafe AVG New Zealand Cyber Security Survey* believed they had adequate protection from online threats, yet only half had installed a combination of current, automatically updated anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall and anti-spam software to provide vital security against criminals and insidious malware attack.

The online world is no place for a "she'll be right" attitude, says Martin Cocker, Executive Director
NetSafe New Zealand. "While the vast majority of Kiwis are using their computers for an increasing variety of activities including online banking, buying goods and services, paying bills and checking emails, only a small percentage of respondents could describe how they were protecting those activities."

Whilst concern about online threats was generally high, the survey revealed high levels of concern about online child predators (72 percent) and lower levels for identity theft, Online Scams, and Computer Security. This highlights the gap between perception and reality and the urgent need for well promoted education programs to spell out the increasing threat from not only online predators but also cyber criminals who have financial gain as their objective.

Cocker said: "The threat from sexual predators is real and we must remain vigilant in the protection of children online. However, we are seeing much greater numbers of people being harmed by crimes that fall under the 'online security' category".
"We go to a lot of trouble to secure physical assets like our houses, cars and cash, but take far less care securing important personal information, passwords and credit card numbers. As we increasingly live our lives online, these are the assets we must learn to protect. "

Nearly 30 percent of those surveyed encountered a problem with online security, with issues ranging from computer malware to having details hacked, or being a victim of fraudulent credit card transactions.

Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG (AU/NZ) says cyber criminals are increasingly sophisticated.

"In the US last year more than 2.5 million households had to replace their computers after they were infected with viruses and spyware. Identity theft continues to rise because of how easily cyber thieves can steal it, sell it, and get away with it.

"Hackers go where the money is and follow the path of least resistance. We need to defend ourselves as users and as businesses against these cyber criminals.

"Despite this, I believe we can make the Internet a safer place. My advice is for people to get smart about Internet security and pass it on. With each new user that gets serious about online security, the Web gets a little bit safer and stronger as a whole," says Borrett.

Accurate knowledge of online security risks and solutions was quite limited among the respondents. Barriers to having adequate computer security also included perceived issues such as cost, time to implement and impact on Internet speed. With the survey revealing that most people look to their friends for information, they are leaving themselves open to the rapid introduction of new forms of online attack and criminal activity.

"It's frustrating to see so many people fall victim to the bad guys on the Internet," says Cocker.

"We recommend people have a look at sites such as The Orb (www.theorb.org.nz) which provides an opportunity to report cybercrime and includes advice for keeping safe online. And take advantage of the many free, easy to use security products available, such as those offered by AVG and others, which have no impact on the speed of your systems."

Borrett gives a final piece of advice, "Don't forget, online safety doesn't just apply to your PC or laptop - today's smartphones and tablets are computers in your pocket, containing crucial personal information, and they need securing just as much as traditional computers."

Ends

Note to editors: *The nationwide telephone survey of 500 New Zealanders aged 18+ was conducted by UMR Research. Fieldwork was conducted 21-24 February 2011.

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