Detroit Internet users rank seventh among 35 U.S. cities for being most at risk for online threats and being “digitally duped,” according to an AVG Technologies survey of online behavior. Of the more than 8,000 Americans with home Internet surveyed, AVG says many consumers are unknowingly putting themselves at risk of falling victim to identity thieves, viruses and malware with bad PC habits and a lack of comprehensive protection:
- 75% don’t back up their phone’s data – many rely on their provider to restore their contacts should an accident occur.
- 67% don’t use an identity monitoring service.
- 41% never run a manual antivirus scan to make sure the computer is virus-free
- 40% don’t use a password on their mobile device and of those that do, another 34% have not changed the password in the past year.
- 38% admit to sharing online passwords with at least one other person
- 23% don’t back up the data on their PC
U.S. cities at highest risk
AVG says that the top 10 U.S. cities at highest risk are:
1. San Antonio
2. Tampa, Fla.
3. Atlanta
4. Dallas
5. Oklahoma City
6. Charlotte, N.C.
7. Detroit
8. Denver
9. Washington D.C.
10. Sacramento, CA
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The rules of the road still apply to online activities:
- Patch your system
- Use current anti-malware software
- Change passwords regularly, use variations for each online account, and never, ever share them with others
- Use one credit card with a low spending limit for all online purchases. Monitor this account regularly, and flag any inappropriate activity to the bank.
- Back up your data
- Don’t share your personal data on Facebook
- Be wary of phishing scams. Never click on links in emails
Related articles
- 5 Essential Mobile Security Tips (informationweek.com)
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.