Kaspersky conducted a recent surveyin collaboration with popular Arabic technology news
portal – AITnews.The survey aims to understand how knowledgeable online users are
about threatsand the best ways to respond to them.
The survey revealed that 56 per cent of Arab respondents from across the world believe
that their personal data is not secure,while more than a third (41 per cent) do not use a
security solution to protect themselves online even though experts urge all internet users
to have a security solution installed regardless ofwhether they believe their data is safe
online or not.
When asked about what kind of security solutions they use, 71% of the respondents said
that they use free solutions. Although authentic free security solutions are capable of
tackling a range of threats, paid security solutions have more comprehensive capabilities to
effectively respond to emerging and complex attacks.
Emad Haffar, Head of Technical Experts for META at Kaspersky, said, “The main take away
from this survey is that most people are aware that their data is not secure online and are
practicing varioussteps to protect themselves. However, the results also demonstrate that
there is a room for improving people safety while online, and this is where the importance
of cyber awareness arises – a topic that is widely advocated by us. We at Kaspersky are
committed to protecting the customer’s online experience, proactively and in the instance
of a breach or an attack.”
On a positive note, respondents are taking steps to protect themselves from internet
threats. The majority (71 per cent) use complex passwords while 44 per cent use anti-virus
softwares and 43 per cent use two-factor authentication. Although users are taking the
necessary steps to protectthemselves on the internet,there is no foolproof way of ensuring
that you are safe from all online threats. If you have been hacked, it is crucial to take the
required steps to ensure the least amount of damage. Most (48 percent) of the respondents
surveyed said that closing their affected account and all associated profiles is what they do
in case of a breach while 45 per cent said that they would attempt to delete or close the
sources of the attack.
While it is promising to see that a large numberof respondents are aware of what to do,
Kaspersky experts believe that there is room to improve data security. Below are a couple
of tips to help you stay safe online:
- Be cyber vigilant
Do not click on suspicious links, open attachments from suspicious email, do not reply to
spam and befriend strangers on social media, etc.
- Keep your operating system and apps up to date
Keeping your operating system up to date is not just a matter of ensuring that you have the
latest interface changes, it is also about fixing critical vulnerabilities in your system.These
updates are essential for a successful fight against known vulnerabilities and malware.
- Backup Your Data
Creating a backup is a critical step in ensuring your data is protected in the event of system
failure or file corruption due to an online attack.
- Use Security Solutions
Using security solutions is critical in today’s world. Cybercriminals are constantly coming up
with new ways to hack into your devices, having a robust security solution can help you
enjoy the internet safely and without worrying about cybercrime.