Younger individuals aged 18 to 40 are the least likely to report cyber crime and are more likely to become victims of it resulting in a loss of data or money, according to a study by Atlas VPN.
Two thousand participants in the UK and US took part in the survey and provided information online in response to questions about their cyber security behaviours.
Generation Z, or those aged 18 to 24, and Millennials (25 to 40) were found to be less likely to report cyber crime than other generations and become victims to it.
Gen Z in particular were found to be the least likely to report cyber crime, with only 21 per cent informing authorities. Nearly one-third (32 per cent) of Millennials have reported a cyber crime.
Following up, some 43 per cent of Gen X, who are aged 41 to 56, have reported a cyber crime while the most likely to report cyber crime are Baby Boomers, aged 57 to 75, as 64 per cent of them have done so.
Atlas VPN suggests the study shows that while they might not be as tech-savvy, Baby Boomers care more about their personal information online than other generations.
But not only did the survey reveal that Gen Z and Millennials are the least likely to report a cyber crime, they are also most likely to become victims of one, resulting in money or data loss.
Out of the surveyed Gen Z respondents, 49 per cent of them have not been a victim of cyber crime at all. However, 22 per cent of them have suffered from a single cyber attack, and 21 per cent of Gen Z adults were victims of harmful cyber activities 2-3 times, which resulted in data or money loss.
On the other hand, 56 per cent of Millennials have not been a victim of cyber crime. Nonetheless, 21 per cent of them suffered from damaging cyber activities once, and 16 per cent of Millennial adults were victims 2-3 times in a cyber attack, which cost them money or data loss.
In June, the European Commission announced plans to establish a ‘Joint Cyber Unit’ to tackle the rising number of serious cyber incidents impacting public services and businesses across the EU.
Vilius Kardelis, PR manager at Atlas VPN, said: “Younger generations are more tech-savvy, but they are also used to doing everything online, from interacting with friends to shopping and managing financial activities from a young age. Such daily usage of the internet has made them more accustomed to disclosing their personal information online, which ultimately leads them to be less wary when engaging on the web.”
Source: E&T
