We already know Phishing accounts for more than half of ransomware attacks. A new study from Bitdefender reveals poor online habits prevail after a year of cybersecurity in the news. The first topic the study explores are passwords. They found over half of users memorized their passwords, and only 24% used a password manager. This data point can be tied to another later in the report on password reuse. The study found 22% of respondents use a single password for all online accounts. Less than half of users reported they use a different password for each account.
The study cited mobile threats as the new leading threat vector. Almost a quarter of users access a personal account with a work device. A mobile phone is the primary means of using the internet for half of users. We know smishing is up 300% over last year, and users are reporting the uptick. The study shows 61% of users reported scam messages or phishing over the past year. To add to the mobile threat, 30% of users are using a simple password like “1234” or are not locking their device at all.
Users were also asked about the kind of access children in their home had on internet devices. In the US almost half of children have full access to browse and install apps on mobile and desktop devices. The youngest demographic surveyed (18-24) were more likely to share information online and were generally less worried about online threats.
Criminals are exploiting the trust we had in text messages for two-step verification and appointment confirmations. The increase in SMS Phishing or Smishing makes business tools more vulnerable and hinders legitimate businesses from using text messaging as an advertising tool. Businesses need to understand how their corporate tools are being used outside the office in order to protect customer data.
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