Kaspersky Research: Gen Z is the Most Active Internet User, but Minimal Cyber Protection

Illustration of cyber security. (Pexels)

JAKARTA - Generation Z is the group that spends the most time in cyberspace compared to other generations. However, the high intensity of digital activities is not followed by adequate cyber protection habits.

Kaspersky's latest research involving 7,200 respondents worldwide shows that 57 percent of Gen Z respondents admit to spending more time online than offline.

Furthermore, as many as 67 percent of respondents from the generation group named smartphones as their main device for daily internet use.

This constant connectivity is accompanied by a considerable amount of confidence, with 59 percent of Gen Z respondents saying they feel confident in the digital environment.

But unfortunately, research says that only 27 percent of Gen Z respondents use antivirus software on their mobile devices. The figure is said to be lower than other generations. They also tend to change their passwords less frequently.

The risk of weak protection has also been felt by some Gen Z. More than half or 52 percent of respondents admitted to having experienced cyber attacks involving their devices, online accounts, and data.

More specifically, 17 percent of Gen Z respondents admitted to having experienced hacking of social media accounts. Meanwhile, another 12 percent have lost access to their game accounts.

To protect themselves from various digital attacks, Kaspersky shares some tips that Gen Z can follow to stay safe while surfing the internet. Among them are:

Use comprehensive security solutions on smartphones and laptops to help protect devices from malware, phishing, and other online threats Consider using a Password Manager to help you create strong and unique passwords for various accounts and store them securely. This tool can reduce the potential impact of a single password theft or leak in a data breach When using public Wi-Fi networks in cafes, airports, universities, or other shared spaces, a trusted VPN can add an additional layer of privacy by encrypting internet traffic and helping protect transmitted data