Ten million Italians have suffered digital violations: from identity theft to credit card cloning; from privacy violation to cyberbullying. This is what emerges from a research by Changes Uniplo prepared by Ipsos on the occasion of the 19th edition of Safer Internet Day – the world day for network security, established and promoted by the European Commission.
The violations mainly involve Generation Z (32% of people between 16 and 26 years old) and occur uniformly throughout Italy, more generally they decrease with increasing age: in fact, Baby Boomers are the least involved. with 11% of people between 57 and 64 years old.
On the other hand, among those who have suffered violations, the most exposed are those who use social networks with a medium-high frequency (36%), followed by people classified as “digital experts” (28%) and “Non-experts” (15%).
53% of Italians feel exposed to digital violations
More than 1 in 2 Italians feel threatened by possible digital violations. In particular, Baby Boomers (58%) and inhabitants of metropolitan areas in Central Italy (56%) feel more vulnerable. On the other hand, only 30% of Italians do not perceive Cyber Risk as a danger, while 17% of citizens are unable to assess this risk and its consequences, thus highlighting little awareness and vulnerability.
The most serious perceived risks
The ranking of the risks considered most serious in web browsing sees identity theft at the top (58%), followed by credit card cloning (53%), the use of personal data for other purposes (40%) and violation privacy (39%). In last place the unauthorized use and dissemination of personal photographs (25%). In detail, the danger associated with identity theft and the threat of credit card cloning are particularly felt by Baby Boomers, recording percentages of 73% and 64% respectively.
Cyber Bullying
Among the various digital violations, Cyber Bullying, a social phenomenon that is increasingly becoming a typical manifestation of juvenile crime, deserves a specific study. The data from Changes Unipol confirm this relevance: 4 out of 10 respondents assess Cyber Bullying as a serious risk, felt, especially among women (43%) and equally in the various generations, by 41% of Generation Z as well as by 40 % of Baby Boomers.
A problem that is deeply felt throughout the country, with Turin, Florence and Palermo showing the greatest concerns (50% of respondents indicate it as a risk), less so in Bologna (39%), Rome and Verona (35%).
Over 1 in 2 Italians tries to protect themselves from cyber risk with “do-it-yourself” methods
e-commerce
In this difficult context, made up of real and perceived digital risks, ecommerce and online payments stand out: 77% of Italians believe them safe, and 11% “very safe”. In the minority made up of skeptics on the subject, the Baby Boomers emerge (18% of them compared to 15% of Italians, the metropolitan areas of the South (21%) and above all those who have already suffered digital violations (24%).