The Avast findings suggest that a majority of those aged 65-plus (40 percent) and the age group of 25-35 (39 percent) are the prime targets of ransomware, tech support scams, spyware, trojans and botnets
A new research conducted by Avast, a prominent cyber security products & solutions company, has revealed that older and younger generations are being targeted by different online threats based on the primary devices that they use to go online. Avast is based out of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
The research, which forms part of a comprehensive global study with YouGov – A British Internet-based market research and data analytics firm – into digital citizenship trends, found that a majority of those aged 65-plus (40 percent) and the age group of 25-35 (39 percent) primarily use their desktop computer or laptop to go online. This makes them more susceptible to ransomware, tech support scams, spyware, trojans, and botnets, which can be accidentally or unknowingly downloaded or accessed via links in emails or through malicious websites.
In contrast, 25-34 and 35-44 year olds mainly use their smartphones to go online (87 percent each) followed by 18-24 year olds (85 percent) making them targets for Adware, mobile banking trojans, downloader and FluBot SMS scams spreading malware, and Instagram and TikTok scams promoting adware apps or Fleeceware. Across all devices, younger and older generations are also targets for phishing attacks and romance scams.
“Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to steal your data, personal details or money through increasingly sophisticated scams and online threats. They often take into account how younger and older generations use different devices to launch targeted attacks, adapting them to current cultural and usage trends to make them more relevant and likely to hit their mark,” says Jaya Baloo, Chief Information and Security Officer, Avast. “As a rule of thumb, when going online, whether it’s on your computer, laptop or smartphone, if something doesn’t feel right, don’t continue. Don’t click on a link in an email, SMS, social ad or website, don’t input your personal or payment details, and don’t download. It’s better to be safe than sorry,’ adds Baloo.
On mobile devices, the top threats last quarter were: adware (59 percent), mobile banking Trojans (9.7 percent), and downloaders (7.9 percent), which are harmful apps that use social engineering tactics to trick victims into installing more malicious or otherwise unwanted apps. FluBot has also been spreading widely on mobile in most countries, including India, where Avast blocked 3,500 attacks monthly in August and September this year, out of 35,000 attacks blocked on average globally per month in Q3.
The most important internet activity for 35-44 year old is using social media (36 percent). For 55-64 year old it’s banking and finance activities (38 percent), followed by video calling with friends and family (32 percent). This shows why these generation are targeted on their smartphone with scams on Instagram and TikTok, FluBot SMS and email phishing scams that look like they’ve come from friends or family, and mobile banking Trojans.
“It goes without saying that one should also make sure that one gets stronger digital protection not only for your computer but for your smartphone, which is becoming even more important with growing mobile threats. Look for an all-in-one solution, like Avast One which is available for individuals and families, that can offer protection for every device and protect you from different types of threats, including ransomware, adware, malware, spyware and phishing attacks, while also securing your network via a firewall to prevent hackers from accessing your computer via Wi-Fi and the internet”, elaborates Baloo.
The most important activity for the 65-plus year old (41 percent), 18-24 (31 percent), 25-34 years old (35 percent) and 45-54 year old (36 percent) is using a search engine. This helps to explain why this large section of the population is more likely to be targets for key threats on computers including ransomware, email phishing scams and spyware and trojans targeting their finances and tech support scams.
Qaisar
