91% of Americans Worried About Online Security Threats; Nearly Half Say They’re at Greater Risk Now Than Before the Pandemic, and Almost Two-Thirds Believe That Cybercriminals Could Target Their Household in the Next Year

BURLINGTON, Mass. — Luglio 20, 2021 —

According to a new Sophos Home survey, “The State of Consumer Home Cybersecurity 2021,” consumers are increasingly concerned about their online security and imminent attacks. Forty-five percent of consumers say they’re more at risk of being hit by an attack now than they were before the pandemic, and 61% believe their household could be the target of an attack in the next year. Despite these concerns, the research findings show that security practices are falling short for many.

“Consumers are largely in the dark about cybersecurity,” said Chester Wisniewski, Sophos principal research scientist. “The findings show that many consumers are woefully uninformed about threats like ransomware, the likelihood and risk of these threats within their homes, and how to protect their families. The data also indicates that a number of consumers think they know more about cybersecurity than they actually do. All of this results in a false sense of security, and while it’s no excuse, it’s no doubt a reason why many consumers are failing to meet the security basics.”

The survey polled 2,500 consumers across all regions of the U.S. Key findings include:

  • 91% of consumers are worried about online security threats affecting their household – specifically viruses and malware (60%), identity theft (55%), financial fraud (48%), and ransomware (45%); for parents, the top concern is inappropriate content (39%)
  • 45% believe they’re more at risk of being hit by an attack now than they were 12 months ago, before the pandemic
  • 18% report that someone in their household suffered from a ransomware attack, nearly half of which occurred in the last year; 29% of which paid the ransom
  • 69% believe that working from home introduces new security risks
  • 61% believe that they or someone in their household could be the target of an online attack in the next 12 months

“Ransomware has become a household term and an understandable concern for everyday consumers – especially in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline and Kaseya attacks – but the fact of the matter is that ransomware attackers are looking to make a profit and they’re targeting businesses first and foremost,” said Wisniewski. “Consumers aren’t off limits, however. While the risks to consumers are lower than those for well-funded organizations, they’re still very real risks and consumers need to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families. They simply can’t afford to overlook basic security practices like backing up data, protecting passwords, and updating and patching devices and applications.”

Online Security Bad Habits

The new research findings shine light on several areas where consumer security practices are lacking, including:

  • 20% never backup data to the cloud
  • 24% don’t have or use a password manager
  • 36% don’t update or patch their operating system and applications when prompted, or check to do so at least weekly
  • Just 35% of parents have set up separate user accounts on devices that their children use, and only 44% have user passwords set up at all on these devices
  • Only half (50%) of parents have added parental controls on devices that their children use, and only 42% have set up safe browsing or a web content filter

The Silver Lining

The good news is that most households (83%) have a designated “IT boss” who manages security on all devices within their homes; only 10% don’t, according to the research. Additionally, nearly half of consumers say they’re also responsible for managing devices outside of their homes. This number is highest in the Northeast, where a majority (54%) own this responsibility for extended family and friends.

About the Survey

“The State of Consumer Home Cybersecurity 2021” report highlights findings of an independent survey conducted by Vanson Bourne among 2,500 consumers based in the U.S. The survey was conducted in February 2021.

Informazioni su Sophos

Sophos, leader mondiale nelle soluzioni di sicurezza innovative per neutralizzare i cyberattacchi, mette a disposizione delle aziende un’ampia gamma di soluzioni di sicurezza per endpoint, network, email e cloud al fine di supportarle nella lotta ai cyberattacchi. In quanto uno dei principali provider di cybersecurity, Sophos protegge oltre 500.000 realtà e più di 100 milioni di utenti a livello globale da potenziali minacce, ransomware, phishing, malware e altro. I servizi e le soluzioni di Sophos vengono gestiti attraverso la console Sophos Central, basata su cloud, e si basano su Sophos X-Ops, l'unità di threat intelligence cross-domain dell'azienda. Sophos X-Ops ottimizza l’intero ecosistema adattivo di cybersecurity di Sophos, che include un data lake centralizzato che si avvale di una ricca serie di API aperti, resi disponibili ai clienti, ai partner, agli sviluppatori e ad altri fornitori di cyber security e information technology. Sophos fornisce cybersecurity as a service alle aziende che necessitano di soluzioni chiavi in mano interamente gestite. I clienti possono scegliere di gestire la propria cybersecurity direttamente con la piattaforma di Sophos per le operazioni di sicurezza o di adottare un approccio ibrido, integrando i propri servizi con quelli di Sophos, come il threat huting e la remediation. Sophos distribuisce i propri prodotti attraverso partner e fornitori di servizi gestiti (MSP) in tutto il mondo La sede centrale di Sophos è situata a Oxford, nel Regno Unito. Ulteriori informazioni sono disponibile alla pagina www.sophos.it.