More than three in ten adults couldn’t pass a cybersecurity test for 11-year-olds, according to new research.
That was apparent when five simple questions from the school curriculum aimed at 11-14 year olds found that only 68% of responders answered all of them correctly.
In an online quiz, visitors to the tech company, ramsac, were asked questions such as what is malware and which URL would you use to log in to Facebook ?
Researchers then collated and analysed the results to understand where the weak gaps in our “human firewall” – a term used to describe the human aspect of cybersecurity – exist.
Interestingly, most got a question on what helps to safeguard against phishing wrong, showing a clear gap in our understanding of their responsibility to prevent cyberattacks. In other words, they were unaware of the importance of not clicking on links from suspicious emails.
The company says that, in n an age where data breaches and hacks are becoming all the more prevalent, it’s essential that everyone with access to the internet is aware of how to prevent and spot them.
In the same way we teach children to look both ways before crossing the road, we must instil a sense of cyber awareness in everyone
CEO Rob May, said the results were “deeply concerning”. He added: “The basics of cybersecurity – like recognising phishing attempts or knowing not to trust an unknown USB stick – aren’t just technical details; they’re essential life skills in our digital world.
“In the same way we teach children to look both ways before crossing the road, we must instil a sense of cyber awareness in everyone. This isn’t just an IT issue; it’s about keeping individuals and organisations safe in an increasingly connected world.”
Separately, Howden, the international insurance intermediary group, has published new research on cyber resilience amongst UK businesses, finding that half have suffered at least one cyber-attack in the past five years, equating to £44bn of lost revenue.
Businesses with an annual revenue of over £100m were the most targeted group, with 74% of those surveyed having suffered a cyber-attack over the past five years. However, threat levels are elevated across all businesses, with half of SMEs with a revenue of £2m to £50m also experiencing a cyber-attack over the same period.
The most common causes of cyber-attacks were compromised emails (20%) and data theft (18%), with the average cost of these attacks equating to £2.1m and £2m respectively.
Sarah Neild, Head of UK Cyber Retail said: “Cybercrime is on the rise, with malicious actors continuing to take advantage of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, particularly as firms become ever more reliant on technology for their operations. UK businesses are currently losing a significant amount of revenue to cyber-attacks, and the insurance industry is crucial to strengthening resilience and raising awareness of the security measures needed to help businesses protect their operations.”
“Engagement with SMEs will be particularly important. This segment has been historically underserved by the cyber insurance market yet forms an important backbone of economic activity, both in terms of its size but also as an engine of growth.”
