- Only 27% of Gen Z respondents use antivirus software for mobile devices and are less likely to change passwords regularly
- 57% of Gen Z spend more time online than offline, Kaspersky finds
- And only 28% regularly back up important personal data stored on their phones
Gen Z has no awareness of cyber security, online security principles or the risk of not changing your password. With just over half (52%) of respondents admitting to having their devices, data or online accounts attacked, only 27% actually employ standard countermeasures such as mobile antivirus tools.
In a survey of 7,200 respondents from 18 countries, the company also found that only 28% regularly back up important personal data stored on their phones.
An average Gen Zer seems to rely almost entirely on their smartphone, which is where they store the information they value most, seemingly without cloud backups or syncing in place. The survey found that social media accounts have been hacked (17%) and game accounts lost (12%), but smartphones have additional privacy risks if proper precautions are not taken.
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Gen Z needs to understand the risks
Access to personal photographs, identity documents, email, financial details and of course social media profiles can be acquired via a compromised smartphone, opening the victim to a host of targeted attacks. Direct financial attacks can be carried out, identity theft and more, depending on how successful the attacker is. Keeping the device out of reach of an attacker, rather than inadvertently sharing its contents, is the safest course of action.
Irina Ermilova, Vice President of Consumer Product Management at Kaspersky, sought to address the apparent disconnect between a generation that grew up with Internet access and portable digital technology and its lack of cybersecurity.
“Gen Z grew up online, so digital services often feel intuitive and familiar to them. But familiarity shouldn’t be confused with security expertise,” she noted. “Being able to confidently navigate apps, platforms and devices does not necessarily mean being able to identify fraud, manage passwords securely or protect personal data.”
“The results show that cyber security tools and habits must become as natural a part of digital everyday life as messaging, games or using social media.”
Training Gen Z to spot digital threats
Looking for a solution to this lack of cyber risk awareness, Kaspersky has launched an interactive online game aimed at Gen Z users. Case 404 is a point-and-click “cyber detective adventure” set in the future with fictional cases inspired by actual digital threats.
By playing the game, Kaspersky hopes that Gen Z users will detect fraud and phishing attempts and take that knowledge with them into the real world and stay safe online.
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