Findings from Symantec‘s Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report suggest that in the past year 18% of South Africans have been the target of online crime. The report surveyed more than 18 000 mobile device users globally, with a sample size of 1 001 from South Africa.

According to David Ribeiro, Head of Norton, Middle East and Africa, most cybercrime attacks are financially motivated. Frequently used techniques include keylogger malware – malware that lets cybercriminals capture all keystrokes and visited websites – and phishing attacks.

“We have also seen a marked increase in ransomware attacks, wherein a cybercriminal can lock a computer or mobile device, encrypt all of the data it contains and demand a ransom in return for the encryption key.” says Ribeiro.

The report mentions that 76% of South Africans think that identity theft is more probable than ever before, and 67% believe it is more difficult to keep their personal information in check because of smartphones and the Internet.

Although South Africans consider themselves tech-savvy, 31% of Millennials admit to simply aborting an account rather than deleting it because it was more convenient. Millennials and Generation Xers (39% and 37% respectively) are the most likely age group to be hit by online cybercrime, and only 23% of South Africans aged 55 and over were affected during the past year.

Despite having fallen victim to cybercrime, many South Africans are lax when it comes to securing devices. Nearly 1 in 5 South Africans do not have a password on their smartphone or desktop computer and they continue to put themselves at risk when it comes to online activity.

Graham Croock, director of IT audit, risk and cyber lab at BDO South Africa, says that cybercrime is on the rise and that South Africa is losing more than R1 billion annually to cybercrime.

You can see the full cybercrime report here: https://us.norton.com/norton-cybersecurity-insights-report-global