Consumers are putting themselves and their data at risk while traveling abroad.
Woburn, MA – July 12, 2016 – The latest research from Kaspersky Lab shows that consumers are putting themselves and their data at risk while traveling abroad. In a survey of 11,850 people worldwide, Kaspersky Lab has unearthed that a strong preference among travelers to be connected, casual attitudes towards data security, and an inclination towards risky behavior, is putting them at increased risk of cyber-attacks.
The report shows many users are careless with their connected devices while traveling, with 82 percent of those surveyed choosing to connect to Wi-Fi abroad wherever possible, regardless if it is a secure connection. The report has found that 28 percent of those surveyed use public Wi-Fi abroad more readily than at home – and 18 percent are taking no special precautions at all to stay safe online.
Additionally while traveling, consumers are trying to be productive by banking and getting shopping done, but these actions are putting them at risk. A third (33 percent) admit to visiting websites of a sensitive nature on foreign Wi-Fi using a personal device, and almost half of those surveyed online bank (48 percent) and online shop (46 percent) while traveling.
Consumers are not only showing risky behavior online, they are also being careless with the device itself. A quarter (28 percent) have left their devices unsupervised, and one in five (19 percent) have left them with hotel concierges. Photo opportunities also drive such risky choices, with the report showing that 18 percent of those surveyed, and one in four of those younger than 25 years old, are more likely to ask a stranger to hold their phone and take a photo for them than they would be in their home country.
“It is natural to want to relax on holiday, but too often our guard drops completely when connecting to the Internet, and our better judgment seems to put its feet up, and kick back. Should we connect? Should we post on social media? Yes, of course – but we advise users to take extra precautions when they do this abroad,” comments Elena Kharchenko, Head of Consumer Product Management, Kaspersky Lab. “Make sure you are being cyber-savvy and put measures in place to protect yourself and your data.”
Away from the security of their home networks, users should use a robust IT security solution and connect to networks via VPN, to protect themselves while they travel. To read more tips on how to protect yourself online, click here: https://blog.kaspersky.com/tag/cybersavvy.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.
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Media Contact:
Denise Bertrand
781.503.1836
denise.bertrand@kaspersky.com
