Clario Research Reveals A Third Of Brits Don't Know How To Protect Their Data Online

The time is now to stop scammers and protect our digital lives, as Brits admit being complacent about cybersecurity

• One in ten (9%) say it's impossible to understand how to protect themselves online
• A third of Brits don't know how to protect their data online
• One in five Brits have been a victim of cybercrime
• 11 million Brits have had their data accessed illegally 
• 42% of the UK worry about their data being accessed illegally

LONDON, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- One in five Brits are exposed to cybercrime, and a fifth (21%) have had their data accessed illegally, which equates to 11 million people in the UK. Even though we are living in a digital era where we manage almost every aspect of our lives online, over a third of Brits (35%) say they don't know how to protect their digital data. Yet, 59% of British people reported that they don't spend money to protect themselves from online fraud, even though more than half (56%) say there has been more online fraud since the coronavirus pandemic began. The nation is hiding behind a false sense of cybersecurity and leaving the backdoor to their digital lives unlocked.  

Gen Z-ers (those born after 1995), are less likely to think of themselves as vulnerable or important enough to be targeted by hackers with a third of respondents in this cohort agreeing with the statements "I'm not vulnerable enough to be targeted by hackers" and 'I'm not important enough to be targeted by hackers'. In comparison, only 20%of Brits aged 60+ agree with these statements.

This is according to The Great Cyber Surrender report which reveals that Brits think they are a nation clued up on digital security, despite cybercrime being common in a digital society. Commissioned by Clario, a digital privacy and security company and conducted by Demos, Britain's leading cross-party think-tank,  The Great Cyber Surrender report investigates cybercrime, its impact on victims, cyber policy and digital policing by looking at responses from 2,000 people from the UK.

The study also shows that one in four Brits (27%) think there is nothing that can be done if a hacker decides to access their data, no matter the security measures they put in place. This shows that people are fatalistic about cybercrime which stems from a lack of understanding, with one in ten (9%) thinking it's impossible to understand how to protect themselves.

Although nearly half (44%) of all identity victims in the UK deal with a significant financial loss of £250 and more,  they also suffer serious emotional disruption that even leads to a withdrawal from online spaces and wider trust issues.  According to research conducted by the University of Portsmouth, 75% of cybercrime victims experience increased stress while 70 % experience anxiety and many fear the stigma attached to being a victim of an online scam.

Commenting on the findings, Scarlet Jeffers, VP of UX at Clario says:

"The numbers are staggering. Especially when you consider we are living in a world where our lives are managed almost entirely online. The Great Cyber Surrender report shows that more needs to be done by the Government and leading cybercrime bodies to raise awareness of the scale of the cybercrime crisis and what can be done to help tackle the problem."

"The public has been made to think that cybercrime isn't preventable and that people should suffer in silence because so little is done to reprimand hackers, which leads to cybercrime being under-reported. Now more than ever, we need to change people's perceptions and raise awareness of how consumers can strengthen their cybersecurity to not only protect their personal data but their livelihoods."

"Victims face not only financial losses but also negative emotions that contribute to further psychological effects, proving cybercrime goes beyond just losing one's finance or identity."

Notes to the editor

Clario and Demos conducted a comprehensive evidence review, looking at academic and grey literature to explore what others see as the key problems in this field. The report looks at two nationally representative polls of 2,000 people each from the US and UK, to understand public experiences, behaviours and attitudes regarding cybersecurity and cybercrime as well as the case studies of 20 victims of cybercrime, drawn from a diverse set of demographic backgrounds across the UK and US, who shared their personal stories of how they became victims and the emotional impact of their experiences. Clario and Demos consulted with eleven experts from law enforcement, academia, NGOs, the private sector and government to put forward recommendations that will drastically improve the state of cybersecurity in the UK. Download The Great Cyber Surrender here.

About Clario 

Clario Tech Limited is a London-based cybersecurity company. It was founded in 2019 to disrupt the security software industry by securing people's digital lives with a human, customer-focussed approach to cybersecurity and act as a consumer champion. Clario employs more than 800 people including a large number of Apple Certified Tech experts. 

About Demos

Demos is Britain's leading cross-party think-tank: an independent, educational charity, which produces original and innovative research.

For more information

Name: Hiwot Wolde-Senbet
E: ClarioUKUS@mslgroup.com

Name: Nicholas Bowkett
E: ClarioUKUS@mslgroup.com

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