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DESPITE PREVALENCE OF ONLINE THREATS, USERS AREN'T CHANGING BEHAVIORDESPITE
PREVALENCE OF ONLINE THREATS, USERS AREN'T CHANGING BEHAVIOR

Consumers are victims of online scams and have their data stolen, but they are
lagging on adopting security tools to protect themselves.

Jennifer Lawinski, Contributing Writer

October 9, 2024

2 Min Read
Source: Consumer Cyber Readiness Report, Consumer Reports


Consumers are aware that their information can be stolen by cybercriminals and
that they are vulnerable to attack. While many people are taking steps to
improve their cybersecurity online, the pace they are adopting security tools
remains low, according to the latest Consumer Cyber Readiness Report from
Consumer Reports.

Nearly half of the respondents of a recent Consumer Reports survey on digital
scams and consumer cyber readiness say they have been personally targeted by an
online scam in the past year, but they don't seem to be taking any specific
steps to reduce their exposure to threats or to shore up their defenses. In
fact, consumer behavior remains largely unchanged from 2023 to 2024, the report
found.

Despite the long list of organizations that have been breached and personal
information stolen over the last few years, just 28% of respondents say they
have identity theft protection services. This is a worryingly low number
considering breached organizations offer identity theft protection for free.

Just 54% of consumers said they have software to block or remove malware and
viruses on the personal electronic device they use the most, which is a 2%
decline from the 56% who said they had such software in 2023. Less than half
(42%) said they have a firewall installed on their device, but what's worrying
is that a little over a quarter of respondents (26%) are not sure if a firewall
is installed on their device. This is also another decline from last year, as
46% claimed to have a firewall in 2023.

Around 7 in 10 consumers (71%) said they apply software updates on their
personal device as soon as the updates are available, which is a slight increase
from last year's 67%.

"Staying updated is the simplest and most effective step consumers can take to
safeguard their digital lives," the report quotes Tarah Wheeler, CEO of Red
Queen Dynamics. "It's encouraging to see more Americans prioritizing this
essential aspect of cybersecurity."

While users are generally more keen on keeping devices updated, only 10% are
using encryption software on devices to keep files protected. Three-quarters of
respondents said they do not, and 15% weren’t sure if they did or didn’t.



On the privacy front, things weren't much better. Nearly a quarter of
respondents aren’t sure if they have browser extensions that block trackers.
About a third of respondents say they do use a VPN for accessing the internet,
but 17% were not sure if they do or don't.

This year's Consumer Cyber Readiness Report from Consumer Reports is based on a
survey of about 4,000 people.






ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Lawinski, Contributing Writer



Jennifer Lawinski is a writer and editor with more than 20 years experience in
media, covering a wide range of topics including business, news, culture,
science, technology and cybersecurity. After earning a Master's degree in
Journalism from Boston University, she started her career as a beat reporter for
The Daily News of Newburyport. She has since written for a variety of
publications including CNN, Fox News, Tech Target, CRN, CIO Insight, MSN News
and Live Science. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and two cats.

See more from Jennifer Lawinski, Contributing Writer
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