Finns are being scammed at increasing rates – survey reveals a concerning trend in preparedness against data security threats

Heidi Havastila, a data security service specialist at DNA, warns against relying solely on security software, saying it is even more important to be able to identify scam attempts targeted at people and protect yourself from them. Modern scams are targeted at people rather than devices, she explains.

“The fastest-growing form of cybercrime is the variety of scams directed at people, such as phishing. Scammers make victims believe that they are talking to a trustworthy party and lure them into disclosing their data. Of course, this doesn’t mean that protecting your smart devices is any less important; it just means that consumers now need to think about more comprehensively protecting their digital lives and identity. Data security threats are evolving rapidly, which is reflected in the survey results as a lack of awareness about different data security services and which ones are actually needed”, says Havastila, who is Head of Value Added Services at DNA.

“Scams have become harder and harder to identify, and anyone can fall for scam links that look legitimate but actually send you into the danger zone. According to the survey, search engines are the second most popular way of finding information about data security threats after media. Consumers need to be careful when sifting through search results because scam websites can disguise themselves as information sources,” she continues.

Smart device protection is on the decline

According to the survey, people are increasingly not protecting their smart devices or showing an interest in doing so. The downtrend, which started in 2021, has been experienced by most of the data security services included in the survey. For example, in 2021, 88% of respondents used or were interested in services designed to protect against viruses and malware. Three years later, that proportion has fallen to 79%. Data leak detection services have seen an even greater decline, with the proportion of respondents using or interested in these services falling from 58% in 2021 to 46% today.

According to the survey, the primary reasons people are leaving networked devices unprotected from data security threats are confidence that the smart devices’ native data security features are sufficient (34%) and the high price of data security solutions (28%). Additionally, almost one in five respondents expressed uncertainty about what solutions, services or applications they would need. Havastila believes that, as scams have evolved, consumers have become increasingly unsure of how to properly protect themselves against data security threats such as malware, scams and hacks.

“Taking measures to protect the entirety of your digital life and identity can feel daunting in this period of rapidly evolving online threats, but it is also more important than ever before. Unfortunately, scammers are also learning and developing, and tools like AI can now be used to impersonate a human quite convincingly in communications. Services that detect malicious websites and block access to them will almost certainly become an important tool for even the most seasoned digital users”, Havastila says.

Users should especially be aware of junk mail, as well as scams and phishing attempts, because these are the two most commonly encountered types of data security threat. Of threats respondents have not yet fallen victim to, the greatest are perceived to be personal data leaks, identity theft and the associated inconvenience, theft of payment card details during online shopping and bank account hacks. These are considered significant risks by 37% of respondents.

DNA’s Digital Life survey
The Digital Life survey, produced jointly by DNA and Nepa, was conducted using an online panel from 18 to 27 March 2023. Its aim is to find out how Finns use different digital services as well as their experience regarding digital inclusion. The annual survey received 1,018 responses from Finns over the age of 15. The survey has been conducted since 2013.

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