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Americans are battening down the hatches when it comes to cybercrime with breaches up 23% last year, according to a new study. Many respondents said that they have changed their online behavior to stave off hackers.
The study, released by the University of Phoenix's College of Information Systems and Technology, found that Americans have made big changes in their online lives. In the study almost half (43%) indicated that they have stopped making online transactions via shared computers. But that's not all. Just over a third (35%) said that they change their password more now than before, have stopped using public Wi-Fi, and aren't giving out their personal information while surfing the web.
Confidence is down
With the increased cybercrimes, consumers feel less secure, with 42% indicating that they felt safer five years ago, while close to half (44%) admit that they've had their personal data stolen by hackers.
Peoples trust waxes and wanes when it comes to certain sectors, and so do their expectations. Even with healthcare breaches in the news, and 37% of data breaches being from that sector, 68% of people still trust healthcare providers to keep their data safe. And when it comes to education and financial sectors, seven out of 10 people have a lot of trust here too.
But as you may have guessed the retail industry took a hit in this area with only 50% believing retailers can keep their data safe, and the government didn't do well either, with just 41% of people feeling like they can count on government agencies to protect their data.
Someone please fight cyber crime
“Do something” was the mandate 93% of respondents delivered to both the private and public sector when asked who should combat cybercrime, with 72% suggesting that they should invest in additional cyber security tech, while 43% pointed to bringing more people on board to stop threats.
The cyber security survey was conducted from September 2 to 4 by the Harris Poll. They conducted the research online, and spoke with 2,028 adults, who were 18 or older.