Over 1 in 4 people very concerned about misuse of online data
In addition to concerns about the misuse of banking details or personal details, 20 percent of respondents said they were very concerned about the misuse of online accounts or the hacking of devices or accounts. Around 15 percent were very concerned about ransomware and computer viruses.
| Onderwerp | Very concerned (% of people aged 15 and older) | A little concerned (% of people aged 15 and older) | Not concerned (% of people aged 15 and older) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft of personal details | 26.5 | 56.0 | 17.5 |
| Misuse of bank details | 25.9 | 50.2 | 23.9 |
| Misuse of personal details | 25.8 | 54.2 | 19.9 |
| Misuse of accounts | 20.6 | 55.3 | 24.0 |
| Hacking of device or account | 20.3 | 61.9 | 17.7 |
| Distribution of photos or videos without consent | 19.4 | 44.5 | 36.1 |
| Ransomware | 15.3 | 53.6 | 31.0 |
| Computer virus | 14.2 | 63.1 | 22.7 |
| Online discrimination | 7.0 | 20.6 | 72.3 |
Half believe there is a chance of being hacked
Among those aged 15 and older, 51 percent believe that there is a risk (‘very high’, ‘high’ or ‘neither high nor low’) of their own devices or accounts being hacked. Furthermore, 40 percent believe there is a risk of fraud involving buying or selling items online. Around 15 percent believe that they could become a victim of online bullying, discrimination, threats or harassment, while 9 percent believe they could become a victim of the distribution of intimate photos or videos without their permission.
More people believed that they run a (high) risk of becoming a victim of identity fraud or payment fraud in 2024 than in 2022. The same applies to online bullying and online discrimination.
| Onderwerp | (Very) high (% of people aged 15 and older) | Neither high nor low (% of people aged 15 and older) | (Very) low (% of people aged 15 and older) | Don't know (% of people aged 15 and older) | Didn't use internet in last 12 months (% of people aged 15 and older) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hacking of device or account | 9.5 | 41.3 | 40.8 | 7.6 | 0.8 |
| Fraud when buying/selling items online | 6.2 | 36.2 | 49.9 | 6.8 | 0.8 |
| Identity theft | 6.9 | 31.7 | 52.1 | 8.5 | 0.8 |
| Fraud when making a payment online | 6.5 | 26.5 | 60.3 | 6.0 | 0.8 |
| Phishing | 5.3 | 19.0 | 70.4 | 4.4 | 0.8 |
| Online stalking | 4.2 | 14.6 | 74.8 | 5.6 | 0.8 |
| Online bullying | 3.6 | 13.5 | 76.4 | 5.7 | 0.8 |
| Online discrimination | 3.2 | 11.3 | 79.5 | 5.2 | 0.8 |
| Online threats or intimidation | 3.1 | 11.5 | 79.4 | 5.1 | 0.8 |
| Distribution of intimate images without consent | 2.1 | 6.9 | 85.7 | 4.5 | 0.8 |
| 1) Respondents' view on the risk of these forms of online criminality affecting them. | |||||
8 in 10 use passwords or other security measures
The most common measure that people take to protect devices and accounts containing personal information from misuse by third parties is to secure devices using an access code, password, fingerprint or facial-recognition system (81 percent). Meanwhile, 74 percent of people check e-mail attachments before opening them.
The measures taken least often are the use of a password of 16 characters or more, the use of a VPN connection, and two-stage authentication. However, a relatively large number of people also report using different passwords for some (but not all) accounts (55 percent).
| Onderwerp | Yes, on all devices (% of people aged 15 and older) | Yes, on some devices (% of people aged 15 and older) | No (% of people aged 15 and older) | Didn't use internet in last 12 months (% of people aged 15 and older) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use access code, password, fingerprint or facial recognition | 80.6 | 15.9 | 2.6 | 0.8 |
| Check e-mail attachments before opening them | 73.8 | 18.5 | 6.8 | 0.8 |
| Install updates immediately | 58.0 | 30.3 | 10.9 | 0.8 |
| Save passwords securely | 53.4 | 27.3 | 18.5 | 0.8 |
| Check links before opening them | 46.5 | 37.4 | 15.3 | 0.8 |
| Use antivirus software or virus scanner | 43.3 | 37.9 | 17.9 | 0.8 |
| Back up on another computer | 42.8 | 41.1 | 15.3 | 0.8 |
| Different passwords for different accounts | 38.0 | 54.7 | 6.4 | 0.8 |
| Two-step verification | 26.5 | 48.9 | 23.8 | 0.8 |
| Use a VPN | 17.4 | 21.2 | 60.5 | 0.8 |
| Passwords of 16 characters or more | 16.4 | 43.5 | 39.2 | 0.8 |
| ¹⁾ The responses 'Yes, often' and 'Yes, sometimes' relate to 'Back up on another computer', 'Check links before opening them', 'Check e-mail attachments before opening them' and 'Use a VPN'. | ||||
More people used an access code, password, fingerprint or facial-recognition system for all devices or accounts in 2024 than did so in 2022. The use of passwords of 16 characters or more for all accounts and the use of two-stage authentication have also increased. However, fewer people use antivirus software or a virus scanner on all their devices, and people are less likely to double-check senders and file types before opening e-mail attachments.