Ninety-eight percent of Australians do not believe that the Internet is safe; and 49 percent believe their personal and banking information is likely to be accessed at some stage, according to a survey conducted on behalf of technology security vendor Symantec.
The survey, which examined the security concerns and practices of 518 respondents across Australia, outlines the main concerns and habits of home Internet users; what measures consumers are taking to avoid Internet security threats and their primary concerns. Key findings include:
– Some 96 percent of the respondents believed they would be subject to online fraud at some stage, 49 percent are concerned about identity theft on the Internet, while only 40 percent were concerned about ID theft through traditional means of lost or stolen wallets, cheque books or credit cards.
– About 15 percent believe they will be affected by computer viruses or hackers; 14 percent believe computer spyware will gain access to their PCs; 10 percent believe the insecurity will occur during online transactions; and 10 percent believe they will probably fall victim to a criminal posing as a legitimate business.
