On July 11, 2016 ESET® released data showing that Japanese smartphone users could be making themselves vulnerable to the threat of cybercrime, by failing to take simple security precautions while on-the-go.
The findings from the ESET Japan Cyber-Savviness Report 2016 , showed that despite smartphone users in Japan being some of the most knowledgeable in Asia-Pacific when it comes to cybersecurity, this does not necessarily lead to safer online behaviour.
The survey highlighted that while most smartphone users in Japan know they should take security measures like regularly updating their operating system (75%), only installing apps from trusted sources (67%), and changing passwords regularly (60%), very few actually follow these best practices.
Results showed that over half of all Japanese smartphone users (56.3%) believe that a PC is more likely to be hacked as compared to a mobile device, which explains why so few respondents in Japan proactively download security solutions onto their smartphones. Results highlighted that only a tiny 22 percent of Japanese respondents use credible paid-for security solutions to protect their smartphone, and only 35 percent use free antivirus software.
" Japan is known to be one of the most advanced consumer technology markets in Asia-Pacific , yet there is still a mismatch between what the smartphone users in Japan know they 'should do' versus what they 'actually do' . It's a myth that PCs and laptops are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than mobile devices. Users should start to recognise that their smartphones are like mini computers that are just as powerful as PCs, and in most cases store highly sensitive information that is extremely valuable to cybercriminals," said Lukas Raska , COO Asia-Pacific , at ESET.
Mr Raska adds, "It takes small steps to making sure you have security software in place to protect against attacks or keeping your passwords regularly updated would make a huge difference when it comes to staying safe online."
ESET polled 1,033 respondents in Japan to gain insights into the attitudes, knowledge and user behaviour there when it comes to cybersecurity. The study showed that while users in Japan are knowledgeable about cybersecurity and take few risks online, they still have some way to go in ensuring that they're adequately protected from online threats. Cyber-savviness is based on factors such as users' knowledge or ability to understand activities that are likely to make them vulnerable online, risky behaviours while surfing the web, and the proactive steps they can take to protect themselves online.
