Fifty-three per cent of Canadians say their concern about cybercrime limits their use of online services, says a new Accenture survey.
Eighty per cent of Canadians are concerned about cybercrime, and over two thirds of respondents say they have been the target of a cyber crime attempt in the past three years. About one fifth (19 per cent) have already been a victim of cybercrime.
Do not know how to respond
Canadians do not know how to respond when they are the victim of a cybercrime, the survey found. Only 38 per cent are aware of how to report the crime to authorities. Forty-four per cent said they are aware of how to protect themselves from cyber threats.
Eleven per cent of respondents reported a cyber crime incident in the past 3 years, but only 36 per cent say they are confident in the police’s ability to respond effectively to a cybercrime.
General lack of knowledge
"Canadians are concerned about their general lack of knowledge when it comes to preventing and reporting cybercrime," said Arnold van den Hoeven, Public Safety lead in Accenture Canada's Health and Public Service practice. "The majority (78 per cent) of survey respondents want government and public safety agencies to do more to inform them about how to prevent cybercrime and to stay safe online, with one-fifth (20 percent) of respondents specifically citing the need for increased education of citizens about their personal and data security when online."
