Kaspersky Lab Report Shows Data Risks on Digital Devices Give No Rewards

Woburn, MA – June 19, 2017 - Consumers are putting their private data in danger, by the way they share both their information, and their physical devices containing this information with others. The Kaspersky Lab My Precious Data: Stranger Danger report shows consumers’ data sharing habits and reveals that people who share their data and devices, suffer from data loss and problematic devices more than those who don’t.

Survey data showed that almost half of people who share their data online have experienced data loss on their smartphones (47%). The chances of data loss however, are significantly less for those who do not share their data with others at only 13 percent. The risks are even higher for those who share their information with strangers, with 59 percent of smartphone users who have shared data with strangers admitting they have lost their data.

People who share their personal data digitally have also reported a wide range of problems with their devices. On smartphones, the most common issues include intrusive adverts (51%, compared to 25% of users who don’t share), battery life issues (41%, compared to 17% of people who don’t share), apps operating on their device without their consent (19%, compared to 6% of users who don’t share) and malware infections (14%, compared to 4% of people who don’t share).

In addition, the research shows the same correlation for people that put their physical devices in the care of others, such as giving their smartphones to others for a period of time, leaving their devices unlocked in a public place, or giving out their PINs. The survey showed that more than half (65%) of consumers who shared their smartphone with others also experienced data loss on their smartphones, compared with 34 percent of those who haven’t.

“Our research shows that when people over-share data digitally, they are more likely to face device problems and lose data, making their digital lives more difficult,” commented Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab. “We know that users are unlikely to stop sharing the precious data they love with people online – this is one of the privileges of the online world. That’s why it is so important for everyone to be more aware of the potential dangers they are putting their data and devices in. We urge people to choose protection that adapts to suit their needs, whatever environment they are in. This approach identifies complex and targeted threats and offers users advice that helps to reduce the potential damage to their data and devices, leaving people to enjoy all the online world has to offer.”

Award winning protection is available to help safeguard families and all their precious memories. Kaspersky Total Security delivers protection for PC, Mac and Android devices. Features such as Backup and Encryption protect people’s data from harm. In addition, Antimalware Protection, Software Cleaner and Application Manager ensure that devices continue to work in the best possible condition.

The My Precious Data report is based on an online survey conducted by research firm Toluna and Kaspersky Lab in January 2017. The survey assessed the attitudes of 16,250 Internet users aged over 16 years old, from 17 countries around the world.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2017. 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.