Web users in the UK are the most paranoid when it comes to online security, new research has revealed.
German net security firm G Data analysed the online behaviour of 16,000 people across 11 countries. It found that in the UK over 94% of Internet users have security software installed on their PC at home. Lowest of the polled countries was Russia, with just 83% of users having some sort of protection on their machines.
The study also found that users in the UK are most likely to have a full security suite installed rather than just antivirus. Russia again came bottom of that list with just 40%.
"In the case of Internet security, a healthy dose of paranoia can be a good thing; the rest of the world can learn a lot from the UK in this respect. Web users need to ensure they are careful for the correct reasons and continue to be aware of the risks associated with the Internet," said James Coombes of G Data.
"Every day we see reports about new attacks on Internet users, data theft, new computer malware and the formation of cyber-criminals. Therefore, it is even more important than ever for users to ensure they have the correct security solution," he added.
There is a big difference between being aware of security issues on the Internet and taking as much precaution as you can and being ‘paranoid’ about it.
Dr Grainne Kirwan, lecturer in Cyberpsychology at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, said: "The finding is very interesting, and could perhaps be explained in part by factors which researchers have found to be related to the intention to practice online security.
"These factors include the perceived usefulness of the security software (i.e. how effective the user thinks the software will be) [and] influences from family, peers and the mass media (so if users hear a lot about the importance of online security measures and the dangers of poor protection by these sources, then they’re more likely to take suitable precautions)," Dr Kirwan added.
So maybe it’s not purely about ‘a healthy dose of paranoia’ but more to do with awareness of the potential issues, driven no doubt by the huge amount of coverage given to the recent cyber attacks and hacking groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec.
Speaking to CBR recently, Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder and CEO of Russian security giant Kaspersky Lab, said cyber attacks are "simply a part of the digital world. We’re calling the last five years or so the golden age of cybercrime because there are so many criminals and attacks. They have lots of cash, expensive cars, nice properties. Know that from the arrests that have been made and from the news and our links in police departments."
