New Zealanders are worried about their online security, but most are not taking action to protect themselves, according to the latest report from Kantar TNS New Zealand.
The study, Navigating the Digital Labyrinth, reveals 46% of New Zealanders are worried about how easily their home network can be hacked and that figure rises to 58% of those aged over 60. It found 84% of respondents describing themselves as security conscious, but only 49% are using anti-virus software. Just 19% change their passwords regularly, with 68% admitting this is something they should do more often. It also shows 41% use different passwords for different sites, with 47% knowing this is something they should do, but don’t. Additionally, just over a fifth of those surveyed review security settings regularly on sites they log into but almost 60% feel they should do so more often.
Kiwis’ attitude to cyber security is a paradox, Kantar TNS New Zealand client director Jonathan Pickup said.
“Clearly most people are aware of the risks and understand many of the simple things they should be doing to protect themselves but don’t actually do them,” he noted.
Moreover, the study reveals New Zealanders are sceptical when it comes to information online, with just 19% of New Zealanders say they trust the information they read. The most trustworthy mainstream services were ‘my main bank’ (85%), ‘my main insurance provider’ (72%) and ‘my electricity provider’ (70%) while Facebook (29%) and Twitter (16%) were the most likely companies to be distrusted.
Kantar TNS New Zealand’s Navigating the Digital Labyrinth was completed by 1,296 New Zealanders online during November and December 2018.
