Europeans Are Less Confident in Protecting Themselves from Cyberthreats According to CUJO AI Survey

The latest CUJO AI study, conducted in the United States, France, Germany, and Italy, reveals that alarming numbers of people don’t take any actions to secure themselves from online threats and instead turn to Internet Service Providers for unified protection.

Los Angeles, CA (October 27, 2021) – CUJO AI, the global leader of cutting-edge cybersecurity and network intelligence solutions for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), today released the annual “Cybersecurity Perceptions Survey 2021” report.

The survey of 4,000 respondents across the U.S., France, Germany, and Italy covers a diverse range of topics, including customer confidence, awareness, behaviors, and beliefs toward various aspects of cybersecurity. It also reveals customers’ opinions about who they think is ultimately responsible for online security, and whether they would switch to another ISP for better protection.

Europeans are Less Confident About Security

The lowest confidence in online security was reported in Europe, where over 30% of respondents felt that protecting their home networks was highly challenging.

“Customers are more connected and vulnerable than ever before,” says Einaras von Gravrock, CEO, CUJO AI. “Connected IoT devices are often insecure, providing opportunities for bad actors to attack both home and business networks. These attacks are evolving, and it is only natural that many people struggle to find the tools to protect their devices, data, and homes or businesses from digital threats – protecting smart equipment can be extremely difficult for the average user.”

Respondents in the U.S. were twice as likely to report smart device usage than Europeans and more confident in their abilities to protect their home networks: 52% said it was either not challenging at all or only slightly challenging (19%). Confidence was lowest in France, where 72.8% of respondents said self-protection was at least moderately challenging.

Threats Are Increasing, Awareness Remains Low

The survey revealed that many Internet users have experienced cybercrime and were skeptical about their abilities to protect their data. One out of three respondents either knew someone who had been a victim of cybercrime or had been a victim themselves. Identity theft and unauthorized use of personal data were critical concerns for consumers in all surveyed countries.

“The most worrying trend revealed by our survey is that a third of the respondents are unaware they need to take action to protect their home networks and personal devices, with the highest reported numbers in France and Italy – 34.5% and 36.7%, respectively. Also, one in seven people across all surveyed countries knew they needed to act but still did not take any steps to protect their networks or devices,” – said Indre Raviv, Senior Vice President of Marketing, CUJO AI.

Consumers Turn to Internet Service Providers for Protection

Among respondents who had taken action to secure their networks, most relied on traditional security measures such as antivirus software (AV). More than a third of respondents in France, Italy, and the U.S. had installed antivirus software on their devices, as well as 54% in Germany. A significant number of respondents (8-17%) had subscribed to a security service from their ISP.

When asked who was responsible for preventing cybercrime and cyberattacks, most respondents in every surveyed country said their ISPs were the most responsible. Most respondents believe that ISPs are more responsible for providing cybersecurity than the government, law enforcement, or even the users themselves. Moreover, respondents in Germany, Italy, and France attribute a relatively larger responsibility to ISPs than Americans.

Many consumers stated that they would be willing to upgrade their subscription or switch to another ISP if it offered them more security: 62% in Germany, 53% in the U.S., 46% in Italy, and 36% in France.

The full “Cybersecurity Perceptions Survey 2021” report and additional content are available on the CUJO AI company website.

About CUJO AI

CUJO AI provides advanced multi-layered cybersecurity as a product for Internet Service Providers, which allows them to protect end-users’ devices and home networks. Major mobile and broadband providers partner with CUJO AI to offer security as an added-value service to their clients. Thanks to a unified approach that encompasses AI algorithms and an unmatched scale of its database, the company’s products have a proven positive impact on their partner telecom revenue streams and customer retention. As the only comparative platform deployed to monitor over 1 billion devices, CUJO AI offers the most advanced AI algorithms to help its clients uncover previously unavailable insights about devices on their networks. Data processed by these algorithms is in full compliance with all privacy regulations. CUJO AI provides its AI-powered cybersecurity and network intelligence solutions to the largest broadband operators around the world, including Comcast and Charter Communications.