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Woburn, MA – June 14, 2016 – Every day, across the world, images are being shared: 300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook , 80 million photos are uploaded to Instagram , and countless more are shared by email or instant messaging. So it is not surprising that young people appear complacent about images on one device being locked through ransomware, as revealed in a new study by Kaspersky Lab . The study, which included Millennials (16 to 34 year olds) in North America, showed that just one in ten says that they are worried about ransomware, and just more than a third understands what it is and the damage it could do.

Ransomware, a form of malware that locks or encrypts the data stored on devices and then demands a fee to unlock it is a growing global menace. In the first three months of 2016 , Kaspersky Lab blocked 372,602 ransomware attacks worldwide. Both the number and range of attacks is spiralling, and consumers are increasingly the target.

Many consumers lack an understanding of this threat – the study found 43 percent admitted to not knowing what ransomware is as a cyber threat. Kaspersky Lab also found that only more than a third of the 16 to 34 year olds could accurately define what ransomware is (39 percent), and know that an attack could cost them access to their personal documents (33 percent) or photos (31 percent). Moreover, a mere 13 percent consider ransomware to be a cause for concern.

Since many young people now share much of their lives online, they could expect to recover copies of the files from somewhere else, a friend or a social media account, for example. In fact, the study shows that 41 percent of the Millennials surveyed regard the emailing of documents and images as an acceptable data back-up process.

This mind-set is likely reinforced by the many warnings young people receive about how the ‘Internet never forgets’ (so post with care etc.), leaving them with the impression that their digital information will always be out there somewhere, and therefore retrievable. As the survey shows, for these youngsters, there seems to be no need to worry about unlocking trapped files.

Their approach to protecting themselves is often confused. Only around half have Internet security installed on their smartphone, despite the fact that, among other things, their phone is the device most likely to be used as a camera and picture store. One in six believes that they can talk their way out of a ransomware attack or simply disconnect or switch off their gadget to make it stop. At the same time, mobile ransomware targeting devices is on the rise, and repelling an attack is a tough job for an unprotected phone.

“Today’s consumers store so much on their devices. More stuff than they even realize. The problem is, many of them are not thinking ‘what if I lose access to all my photos, music, videos?’ when that is exactly what they should be worried about and preparing for,” said Ryan Naraine, Head of the Global Research and Analysis Team, USA, Kaspersky Lab. “Learning how to protect yourself against it is so simple and necessary, especially if the data is of great value to you and you felt like you could not do without it if you were attacked by ransomware. If you value your personal data – protect it.”

Kaspersky Lab advises consumers to:

  • Make sure they are always using the latest versions of software
  • Install an Internet security solution
  • Routinely back up their information, if possible on an external hard drive
  • Take care when opening emails that come from an unknown sender, carry suspicious-looking links or are unexpected. If in doubt, check with the sender before opening the message.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is one of the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately-owned. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users (IDC, 2014). Since 1997 Kaspersky Lab has been an innovator in cybersecurity and provides effective digital security solutions and threat intelligence for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab is an international company, operating in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 400 million users worldwide.

Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

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Media Contact:
Sarah Kitsos
781.503.1836
sarah.kitsos@kaspersky.com

Millennials underestimate risks of ransomware data loss

Every day, across the world, images are being shared: 300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook, 80 million photos are uploaded to Instagram, and countless more are shared by email or instant messaging.
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