74% internet users can’t recognise online threats, says Kaspersky

A cyber security company, Kaspersky, on Thursday said that 74 per cent of Internet users were downloading potentially malicious files due to inability to spot dangers online.
This is contained in a statement by the company, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos.
The statement said that the company reached the conclusion after conducting a global quiz competition which questioned 18,000 Internet users about their online habits.
“Consumers need to make themselves more aware of the dangers of the online world, in order to protect themselves and others.
“If a consumer is in a dodgy bar, they are unlikely to start counting large sums of cash, and it will not be streetwise or sensible.
“The same sort of instinct should come into play when consumers go online.
“Checking for signs of malicious activity and knowing how to spot a phishing page or dangerous download option is vital.
“No matter how cyber-savvy a person is, it is unsafe to go online without putting security solutions in place.
“The findings followed a recent consumer research from Kaspersky Laboratory and B2B International,’’ the statement quoted David Emm, a researcher in the company, as saying.
According to the statement, the findings showed that 45 per cent of Internet users globally have encountered a malware incident in the last 12 months.
“Yet, 13 per cent of those who had been affected didn’t know how,’’ it said.
The statement said that cyber-criminals were constantly developing new ways to target people and only the most up-to-date security software could protect users against some threats.