In addition, 66% of online consumers reported that they would be financially susceptible if their computers were accessed without their permission, and 67% said they would be devastated if they lost everything on their computer and/or connected device.
"The results of the survey highlight that many consumers are engaging in behaviors that leave them vulnerable online. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated – not only are the security threats becoming more malicious and pervasive, they are also targeting consumers where they feel safe, such as on their mobile devices or talking to their friends on social networking sites”, said Carol Carpenter, executive general manager for the consumer business unit at Trend Micro.
The consumer survey also revealed that concerns over anti-virus software slowing their computer down, or using too much memory, were among the top reasons consumers chose not to use security software.
“We are seeing as many 300,000 threats in a single day. Most of us may be infected and we don’t even know it. It’s that whole idea that something has been downloaded, either to your smartphone or your computer, whether it’s a PC or a Mac, and it is silently sitting there and collecting information – financial and personal information”, she added.