Nearly One In Three Generations Of Seniors In Southeast Asia Feel Anxious About Making Online Payments

Anxiety of the elderly towards digital payments (Photo: Kasperksy)

JAKARTA - Kaspersky's research entitled "Mapping a secure path for the future of digital payments in APAC" reveals the concerns of older people about online transactions and their trust in antivirus software.

Recent Kaspersky research shows that digital considerations about cybersecurity and payments strongly influence the buying behavior of consumers in the region.

There are 21 percent of digital payment service users in Southeast Asia who still experience anxiety when making online transactions. Among other ages, the highest concern occurred in the oldest group, the Silent Generation (30 percent).

Interestingly, this "senior" group is followed by the youngest generation by 27 percent. Nearly 17 percent of users in Southeast Asia admit that they prefer to pay with cash.

“Older adults are not from the internet age. Their concern is understandable and should be seen as a precaution against making harmful mistakes in the technology they are still learning to use. However, it should be noted that a large proportion of them (26 percent) trust digital payment platforms," said Sandra Lee, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

Given their preference for caution online, it's no surprise that the oldest generation favors the efficiency of antivirus software the most. More than 61 percent of adults aged 55 and over indicated the highest level of confidence in security solutions compared to the younger age group.

While on average, half of all generations in Southeast Asia (50 percent) understand the importance of using antivirus software to protect their money and online data, Gen Z shows the lowest trust at 46 percent, Millennials at 49 percent, and Gen X at 52. percent.

Nearly 20 percent of all respondents feel that the use of antivirus software is sufficient, 17 percent of respondents feel unsure or do not know about how antivirus can help them reduce the risk of financial loss.

Worryingly, there are still around 14 percent who say that antivirus software is not an important tool in combating cyber threats that can threaten financial data and property.

The true significance of security solutions must be well understood today when we often face all forms of financial fraud, one after the other. Cybercriminals understand our habits and emotional states, because they are humans too.

"We have seen how they are getting more creative in targeting users with social engineering attacks. Therefore we urge all generations to look into a deeper perspective which is to protect their devices with the right tools to secure not only data but most importantly money from the result of their hard work," added Lee.