Overview

NAB research shows that cyber security is a critical, widespread issue for Australian consumers. Overall, the survey results show that almost two-thirds of consumers have experienced some sort of cyber security incident, with consumers of all ages and incomes affected. Consumers have a high level of concern about their cyber security, and while many are familiar with basic cyber security practices, many still don’t know about or follow good practices all the time.

Phishing, breaches and hacks: consumer experiences

The survey examines the overall prevalence of cyber security incidents, who is most likely to be affected, and the different kinds of incidents that can occur. Key findings include:

• Almost two-thirds (63%) of consumers have experienced some kind of cyber security incident, with nearly half (44%) reporting they had experienced more than one event.
• Cyber security incidents are common across society, with a majority having experienced an incident across every age group and income group as well as both males and females.
• Being a victim of a data breach by an external company was the most common type of incident, affecting 38% of consumers, followed by being a victim of a phishing scam, affecting 34%.

Consumer cyber security habits and behaviours

The survey also examines consumers’ levels of concern around cyber security, their familiarity with basic practices, and how they use these practices in the daily life to keep themselves safe. Key findings include:

• Almost all consumers are at least somewhat concerned about their personal cyber security, with 62% reporting they are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ and a further 31% ‘slightly concerned’.
• Most consumers (85%) say they are ‘quite familiar’ or ‘very familiar’ with basic cyber security practices, but only a few (16%) say they follow good practices all the time.
• Nearly one in five consumers (18%) are still using simple passwords for some or all their online accounts, and only around a third of consumers (36%) use a password manager or browser to store and manage their passwords.
• More than a quarter of consumers (27%) rarely or never back up their important data such as photos and documents, and around one in five (21%) do not always update software and apps straight away.
• A quarter of consumers sometimes access online banking through public Wi-Fi networks, with most of these consumers not regularly using a VPN when doing so.

For more information, please see the full report NAB Consumer Insights – Cybersecurity Survey (October 2024)