Nearly one-third of Europeans give false info online to protect their personal details

A majority of Europeans (57%) admit to having doubts about the cybersecurity of their personal data, according to the 2015 report from antivirus software publisher Symantec.

A-majority-of-Europeans-have-concerns-about-the-ways-their-personal-data-is-stored-and-processed-online-Photo-AFP-Michelangelus-Shutterstock-com

A majority of Europeans (57%) admit to having doubts about the cybersecurity of their personal data, according to the 2015 report from antivirus software publisher Symantec.

Eighty-one percent of adults surveyed said they felt their personal data had value (the equivalent of less than €1,000 for 57% of them), which explains what 66% of them say they would like to be able to better protect this data but are unsure of how to go about it. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 14% of respondents said they have no objection to companies sharing their personal data with third parties.

According to the survey, European internet users tend to feel more confident in the cybersecurity of certain types of data. Sixty-six percent of survey respondents trust their banking details are secure online, while 60% feel their medical data is in safe hands. On the other hand, only 15% of respondents feel confident in the security of their online purchasing data. Motivated by these concerns, 57% of respondents say they avoid posting private information whenever possible, and 31% even supply false data just in case of a breach.

Symantec's report is based on an internet survey conducted by Edelman Berland of 7,041 Europeans from seven countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK) selected according to the quota method.