Americans Overly Confident in Cyber Hygiene

Americans in every state are overconfident in their cybersecurity coverage, with the majority of consumers expressing confidence they are taking appropriate steps to protect themselves, according to the 2019 report published by Wakefield Research and commissioned by Webroot.

The Cyber Hygiene Risk Index, published on May 8, found that 88% of consumers expressed confidence in their own cyber hygiene. Only one in three users, however, reported knowing what the most common forms of cyber-attack are (malware and phishing) or how they work, and many report security habits that leave them dangerously exposed.

The riskiest states – the ones in which consumers are most at risk for cyber-attack – are Mississippi, Louisiana, California, Alaska, and Connecticut. But even the safest states – New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Idaho, and Kentucky – scored an average of a D rating, with a score of 65% on the states’ scorecard.

The biggest offenses in cyber hygiene include reusing passwords for multiple accounts (63% of Americans), failing to use the “private” setting on social media (64%), and falling for phishing attempts (53%).

There are some superstars of cyber hygiene in every state. This small group (5%) shares the following best practices:

They back up their data using both online and offline systems.

They pay for their antivirus software (not relying on free options), and they keep it up to date.

They use a VPN, ID protection, and secure password management services.

Compared to the overall Amer ..

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