Everyone wants their privacy to be secure when they’re online – whether you’re an entrepreneur with important business interests, a student writing up your next assignment or a casual gamer with your bank details linked to your account. Everyone deserves to be able to use the internet confidently. We already know our data is often captured and sold to third-party advertisers – you can see it in the adverts that follow you around online.
But how secure is our private data online from risks? What else can be done with the information gathered by our online behaviour? Let’s look at some important statistics which capture the state of online privacy in 2020:
1. We’re not confident in key providers of online services
Despite so many of us handing over our data to online providers, it seems like we don’t even trust them. Out of the social media platforms, Facebook’s handling of private data is quite damning. In one survey, 77% of Facebook users answered that they were “not too confident” or “not at all confident” that their personal data will remain private on Facebook.
Yet many people enjoy using the platform to connect with their friends and family, happily sharing photos or reposting articles – all building up a picture of consumer behaviour which Facebook has access to. Other social platforms didn’t score much higher, and even email providers like Gmail are doubted. Only 29.6% were “somewhat confident” in Gmail’s handling of private data.
2. Online privacy is a huge concern for businesses
Of course, we don’t just access the internet at home to browse social media. Millions of businesses rely on the internet to carry out their operations. As such, cybersecurity is now becoming a standing boardroom issue – an item regular on the agenda. After all, nothing is static. The risks keep developing.
For example, human error can be a problem for online security. With more employees blurring the lines between work and home, using their devices at home on potentially unsecured networks, businesses have to ensure their staff know what best practice is.
And with 94% of malware delivered via email, it’s easy to see how a tired employee could click on a deceptive link when checking their inbox at home. Malware could be any piece of software that’s been created to damage devices, including stealing all the data that device has access to.
3. Hackers target us for various reasons – and on all online platforms
Unfortunately, there will always be opportunistic criminals out there willing to exploit the vulnerabilities online. Hackers are sophisticated and change the way they target people. As this guide to online gaming explains, the average gamer dedicated seven hours and seven minutes a week to playing online in 2019. A lot of time and effort goes into gaming.
Take games like World of Warcraft or Skyrim, for example. Hours of dedication might have gone into the creation and powering up of your avatar. Some hackers will use in-game ransomware to target these people, who might be willing to pay a lot of money for the return of their account after it’s been stolen. In these cases, it’s not your data hackers even want – it’s what you’ll give to get in back. Ransomware can be used across industries to exploit people.
4. The Internet of Things (IoT) could pose additional challenges
A while back, in 2015, EY predicted that there would be 50 billion connected devices in UK homes and businesses. Many of the technologies and devices that connect to the internet help us improve our lives – from home automation to smart city services, they can be used to generate real convenience for us.
Indeed, the cloud ensures that IoT can flourish – but this isn’t without its challenges. The amount of data they store is always increasing and services need to be updated and secured all the time. The more we turn to IoT to connect previously unconnected devices or services, the more they are now exposed to attacks.
Take connected devices in the home, for example. You can now connect your lighting and heating services to the internet to conveniently control from a smartphone – hackers can now gain access to these once standalone devices. This type of device hijacking might start with compromising a thermostat, but theoretically, they can gain access to an entire network.
The landscape of threats continues to evolve and expand. Whatever your reasons are for being online, you need to be aware of the risks of sharing your data. Understanding the vulnerabilities is the first step. You can then start to protect yourself across all online exposure.
