Decline in awareness of online privacy and global cyber security

Awareness of online privacy and cybersecurity around the world appears to be on the decline, according to recent research by cybersecurity firm NordVPN. Analyzing 25 markets with numerous responses, the survey revealed that people around the world are able to recognize online risks and how to avoid them (73%), but are lacking when it comes to the practices and tools to stay safe online (52%).

National Privacy Test: A look at global cybersecurity

The annual National Privacy Test (NPT) was conducted on a global scale and involved 26,174 responses from 175 countries. The main objective of the survey is to evaluate people's cyber security, their online privacy awareness and cyber threat education. Poland and Singapore ranked first, followed by Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria and Portugal, but despite this, the results point to an annual decline in global awareness.

Digital skills and knowledge gaps: key findings of the study

The research found that while people are adept at creating strong passwords (95%) and recognizing suspicious offers from streaming services (94%), their knowledge of digital privacy protection tools is low (3%). Only 11% know what data ISPs collect as metadata. The lack of awareness of the importance of reading the terms of service for apps and online services is clear, although there is an improvement from the previous year.

Educate and raise awareness: the way to a secure digital future

The research also identified knowledge categories: 1% of people are classified as 'Cyber Wanderers' with low knowledge, while 15% are recognized as 'Cyber Stars' with advanced skills. Efforts to improve awareness should be focused on understanding potential risks and educating users on best practices, especially in an increasingly complex digital landscape.