59% Indians Were Victims Of Cybercrime In Last 12 Months, Claims Study

Around 59 percent of Indian adults have been a victim of cybercrime in the past 12 months, according to the sixth annual Norton Cyber Safety Insights report released by online security company Norton.

Reuters

The report has highlighted that victims of cybercrime in India have spent over 1.3 billion hours trying to resolve their problems.

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The study was conducted online in collaboration with the Harris Poll that surveyed 10,000 adults in ten nations around the world, with 1,000 adults from India.

According to the study, seven out of ten adults -- roughly 70 percent believe that work from home has made people more susceptible to cyber attacks from hackers and cybercriminals. Two-thirds of individuals -- around 66 percent are more scared to be a victim of a cybercrime.

Despite the lingering fears around 52 percent of individuals are unaware of how they can protect themselves from cybercrime. 68 percent say that they find it difficult to determine the credibility of the information they see on their screens at times.

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Indians are experiencing cases of identity theft more than ever

The report highlights that two in five Indian internet users -- around 45 percent -- have experienced identity theft with 14 percent people impacted in 2020, compared to 10 percent in 2019. Around 60 percent of internet users don¡¯t know whether they have experienced identity theft or and are anxious that their identity will be stolen.

While 65 percent feel they are well-protected against identity theft occurring. But despite fears surrounding identity theft, people are still unprepared in case of an attack, about 52 percent of adults say they are clueless as to what to do if their identity were stolen.

This included 60 percent aged over 40 years and around 50 percent under the age of 40. Around 68 percent of adults wish they had more info on what needs to be done upon the stealing of the identity.

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Reuters

People are taking data privacy more seriously

The report also highlighted that Indians are taking data privacy more seriously -- 75 percent of individuals are concerned about data privacy and 77 percent of individuals are wanting to do something about it. Around 90 percent of individuals have taken steps to protect their online activities and personal information.

74 percent of the 90 percent of individuals are doing so with changes in lifestyle and work environments due to the pandemic. 43 percent of individuals have made sure that their passwords are stronger whereas 36 percent of individuals have limited sharing information on social media.