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Everyone’s afraid of the internet
(and no one’s sure what to do about it.)
Malware attacks, data breaches, and… physical harm? Turns out the internet is a scarier place today than ever before.
In this report, we dig deep into why people, parents, and teens fear the internet. The riskiest behaviors, the sloppiest cybersecurity practices, and just what everyone actually thinks about tools like ChatGPT—this is “Everyone’s afraid of the internet and no one’s sure what to do about it.”
Key findings
A full 79% of people are very concerned about online privacy and security risks.
Gen Z is most worried about personal, confidential information being exposed—not about classic cyberthreats like malware.
59% of people share their birthdays online, and 45% share personal information about their children on social media.
62% of people admitted to monitoring their romantic partners online.
Share my birthday online
Having my data leaked and identity stolen is one of my biggest fears about being online
Looked through partner’s messages (texts, emails, DMs)
Looked at partner’s search history
Tracked partner’s location using apps/tools
Installed monitoring software/apps on partner’s devices
Big fears. Little action.
A full 79% of people are very concerned about online privacy and security risks.
But some of the biggest concerns—including hacked financial accounts, personal data theft, and identity fraud—have led to disappointingly few precautions.
It gets worse—our full report shows just how many people use the same or a few passwords across their online accounts.
Gen Z’s cybersecurity: Physical security
Gen Z is most worried about personal, confidential information being exposed—not about classic cyberthreats like malware—and they’re the most likely to worry that such exposure could lead to bullying or physical harm.
Our full report shows what Gen Z is looking out for most—and their online blind spots.
Risky business
The Internet requires a lot of personal information—from apartment applications that ask for your current address to airline websites that require your passport number when flying internationally.
But people also willfully engage in a raft of other behaviors that could give hackers and identity thieves exactly what they want. More than half share their birthdays online (59%), almost just as many have social media followers they don’t know or they send messages to people they don’t know (54%), and almost half share personal information about their children on social media (45%).
Our report has a full list of the 10 most common behaviors that can expose sensitive information to malicious actors.
I spy…
Parents were quick to admit that they monitor their children online (71%). But 62% of people admitted to monitoring their romantic partners online. That means looking through their partner’s messages (46%) and their search history (40%), tracking their location using apps or tools (38%), and installing monitoring software or apps on their partner’s devices (32%).
Some partners agree to this type of monitoring. Many don’t: 41% of people who monitor their partners online do it without permission.
What else do partners—and parents—do? Read our report to find out.
About the report…
The wonders of the internet are matched only by its risks. Viruses, hackers, identity theft, and credit card fraud. And then there’s the slew of threats to privacy and well-being, like leaked photos, cyberbullying, and reputational damage.
This year, Malwarebytes conducted research into the public’s attitudes and behaviors around cybersecurity and online privacy, asking teenagers, adults, parents, and non-parents in North America about cyberthreats, emerging technologies, location tracking, and more.
What we found surprised us:
Everyone’s afraid of the internet. That may sound like an overstatement, but the research validates this fear and shows that our online behaviors (or lack thereof) are often at odds with ensuring our safety. It’s clear through the research that there is a critical need for education on how to protect ourselves in an ever-evolving online world.