F-Secure Survey shows some users still hesitant online

by Steve Ragan - Mar 6 2009, 12:45

The annual Online Wellbeing survey, conducted for F-Secure, shows that people feel more secure with online banking than they do when using a credit card online to shop. 

The results of the survey show that not much as changed when it comes to the perceptions people have regarding Internet security. Six percent of those who took the survey said they felt secure when using their credit cards online, which means with all the hype and FUD that fills the news, ninety-four percent are scared senseless when it comes to shopping online. This is a clear area where there is too much fear and too little education.

When it comes to scams and Phishing, overall most were confident that they could spot a Phishing attack. F-Secure said that on average, fifty-four percent of those in the US who took the survey were fairly or very confident that they could spot a Phishing email. However, in the UK for example, sixty-eight percent were far more confident in their Phishing knowledge.

As mentioned, most feel safer when banking online. “In all eight surveyed countries, the majority agree that they are safe during online banking transactions. The countries that have the most confidence are France (62%) and the US (63%), but in Germany, 39% still do not have confidence in online banking. On a whole, 31% of all respondents were still unsure of their safety,” F-Secure said.

The fear that stands out the most comes from parents. When asked for a response to, “My kids are safe when they are online”, over a third of respondents across all countries could neither agree nor disagree with the statement. Parents and guardians do not know whether their children are safe online or not. The vast majority (54%) of respondents did not agree that their children were safe online. Only 2% (strongly agree) of respondents in India feel their children are safe. In Germany, 69% strongly disagreed and disagreed with the statement.

“As the survey showed, parents simply do not know whether their children are safe or not. We will do all we can to develop services that support parents in keeping their children safe online. There is also a lot of uncertainty in performing financial transactions, but it seems the basis for these sentiments is not necessarily founded on a good understanding of the real threats,” said Antti Reijonen, Vice President of Consumer Business and Marketing at F-Secure.

The survey included 2,019 Internet users, ages 20-40, in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, India, and Hong Kong.

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