Consumers appear to be rather complacent about their online security, if research by VeriSign is a guide.
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According to its internal survey, conducted by Galaxy Research, 84% of Australians received some form of online threat over the past year, “via e-mail from impostor banks or other institutions, offers requesting money transfers and requests to wire money overseas”.
Although a chunk of respondents receive large amounts of phishing messages, nearly all still believe they are at low risk from online security threats. Reasons offered for this feeling of comfort include having up-to-date antispyware (78%); they don’t post personal information on social networking sites (61%); they don’t visit high risk Web sites (59%); and they shop on Web sites they know (56%).
VeriSign’s sample, which consisted of 533 Australians aged 16 years and older, also revealed that 94% would avoid using certain Web sites if they were not secure, while 65% fear having their credit card details stolen
As far as their online security is concerned, 82% agree they should take some responsibility for their own security online. Perhaps most amusing was 9% said the Australian government should take the responsibility for their security.
