According to Consumer Reports, perhaps the worst thing is that they’re not even trying. 62 percent of those surveyed admitted they did nothing to protect their privacy online.
The survey projects that about 11.2 million people fell for email phishing scams, while malware infected the computers of about 29 percent of Americans.
Considering just how popular the discussion about online privacy has been, it’s rather surprising that not more people are taking things seriously. In the past year alone this has been one of the most talked-about topics due to the NSA mass surveillance practices unveiled thanks to Edward Snowden’s leaked files.
At the same time, as Consumer Reports indicates, the numbers are even harder to understand, considering that nearly 60 percent said they feared the NSA spying, while about the same number of people expressed concern about spending money online due to security issues.
Albeit, the problem seems to stem from the fact that people don’t know how to “attack a problem that seems to wildly out of their control.” They point out that the most effective defense against an international onslaught of shadowy hackers is a well-informed and vigilant individual.