7 Things Your Customers May Not Understand About Cybersecurity
Though most U.S. internet users understand what makes a stronger and more secure password, and that public Wi-Fi is not inherently safe, there is a range of cybersecurity must-knows that they are just not too sure about.
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Click through the slideshow for 7 things your customers may not know about cybersecurity.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows users to create an encrypted connection between their devices and the internet, making it much harder for anyone other than the user to see their activity.
VPNs have seen an uptick in interest over the past few weeks as lawmakers in the U.S. voted to repeal broadband privacy regulations. But according to Pew Internet, 70 percent of respondents said that they were unsure what a VPN did; only 13 percent said they knew what a VPN’s purpose was.
Ransomware has been in the news a lot lately, which could help public awareness. According to Pew, 48 percent of respondents knew that ransomware involves criminals encrypting and holding users’ data hostage until paid. Still 43 percent were unsure what ransomware was, suggesting there is still work to be done in educating the public about the dangers of ransomware.
See also: 7 Best Practices to Prevent and Mitigate Ransomware Attacks
Botnets are behind the escalation in malware activity in 2016, but the majority of internet users don’t know what a botnet is.
Seventy-three percent of respondents are unsure what a botnet is, while 10 percent answered incorrectly, and 13 percent answered correctly.
Private browsing (or incognito mode) is a feature in many internet browsers that lets users access websites without information being stored by the browser. But what does that mean in terms of what ISPs can see? Fifty-four percent of respondents weren’t sure, while 33 percent answered correctly.
Pew Internet asked respondents to identify a website that had an example of two-factor authentication; 51 percent answered correctly while 26 percent were unsure and 22 percent were incorrect. “Two-step authentication requires the user to enter a one-time code each time they log in to their account, in addition to their regular username and password,” Pew Internet explains.
“Encrypting information entered into a website makes it far more difficult for anyone other than the user and website owner to read the information,” according to Pew Internet. Most users understand what https:// means; 75 percent of respondents answered correctly to what https:// means as opposed to http:// while 17 percent weren’t sure.
“Encrypting information entered into a website makes it far more difficult for anyone other than the user and website owner to read the information,” according to Pew Internet. Most users understand what https:// means; 75 percent of respondents answered correctly to what https:// means as opposed to http:// while 17 percent weren’t sure.
Pew Internet recently surveyed Americans to understand more about their cybersecurity knowledge. Though most U.S. internet users understand what makes a stronger and more secure password, and that public Wi-Fi is not inherently safe, there is a range of cybersecurity must-knows that they are just not too sure about.
As a service provider one of the best things you can do is help to educate your customers about cybersecurity best practices – it helps make your job easier and makes the internet a safer place for everyone.
Click through the slideshow for 7 things your customers may not know about cybersecurity.
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