"Fifth of Brits Have Fallen Victim to Online Scammers"

According to researchers at F-Secure, millions of UK adults have been victimized by digital scammers in the past, yet a quarter have no security controls to protect their online activity.  The researchers found that 19%, roughly 12.6 million Brits, had been tricked by online fraud, such as a phishing attack in the past.  The impact of these incidents ranged from identity theft to data and password loss and even the theft of life savings.  Yet a significant minority still do not protect themselves online, even though they spend an average of eight hours each day using the internet.  The researchers noted that one reason might be that many feel intimidated by the prospect.  More than half (60%) of respondents said they find cybersecurity too complex.  The researchers stated that their findings also highlighted a contradiction in respondents’ attitudes and awareness.  While over three-quarters (77%) claimed they could spot a scam, and two-thirds worry about personal safety online, (48%) said they have no idea if their devices are secure or not.

Infosecurity reports: "Fifth of Brits Have Fallen Victim to Online Scammers"