More than one-fifth of online users in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are still willing to sacrifice their privacy to gain a product or a service for free, a survey by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed. Another 24 per cent of the respondents also let their guards down by sharing social media account details for funny quizzes, such as what kind of flower they are or what celebrity they resemble, the results showed.
Moreover, 20 per cent of consumers surveyed also admitted they need some help to learn how to protect their privacy online.
“Our data on hand suggests a complex online behaviour within our region. It is a welcome progress that the majority of consumers are now concerned about their online privacy but their virtual habits and security know-how must undergo an overhaul,” Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, said in a statement.
In fact, the study showed that 40 per cent of consumers from APAC faced incidents where their private information was accessed by someone who did not have their consent.
Some of the breaches involve accounts being accessed without permission, illegal takeover of devices, confidential data being stolen and used, private data being accessed by someone without consent, and private information being divulged publicly.
More than 5 in 10 online users in the region also expressed their equal concern in terms of guarding their virtual and physical lives.
When asked about the consequences they encountered after a privacy breach, the online users enumerated negative aftermaths concerning their digital and even physical lives.
Most were disturbed by spam and adverts, some were stressed, and a portion claimed their personal reputation was damaged.
Loss of money and dent in familial relationships were also reported by some, according to the “Kaspersky Global Privacy Report 2020”.
The survey was conducted on behalf of the company by independent research agency Toluna between January and February 2020.
For the study, around 15,000 consumers were surveyed across 23 countries out of which more than 3,000 participants were from the APAC region, Kaspersky said.
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