Norton’s 2022 Cyber Safety Report: Aussie online daters do background checks, while hours are wasted resolving cyber crime issues | #youtubescams | #lovescams | #datingscams

NortonLifelock has released a new poll not only showing “around 1 in 10 Australian online daters surveyed ran background checks on prospective online dates,” with a range of online methods used to do so, while Aussies are also alarmed about the loss of privacy in today’s world – and more.

NortonLifeLock has published the 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Online Creeping, and it is valid not just for Valentine’s Day, but every day of the year. 

Amongst key findings, we’re told two out of five Australians surveyed who have used a dating website or app (40%), have unmatched with a prospective date due to information they accessed about them – such vetting or ‘creeping’ highlights how personal information online can go beyond the originally intended audience.

As is usually the case with online surveys, this one was conducted in partnership with a polling company, in this instance, The Harris Poll, which surveyed 1,002 Australian adults aged over 18.

As you’d expect, the online study uncovers key findings around Australians’ online creeping behaviours.

These include:

• Nearly two thirds of Australians who’ve used a dating website or app (62%) admit to looking up a prospective date by undertaking an online search to seek information on their match.
• Over a third surveyed looked up their match using social media (38%), and one in five searched professional networking sites (21%).
• More than one in ten (15%) surveyed admit to searching for the friends or family members of their match on social media
• While a further 8% admit to running a paid background check on their match.

The affable and cyber secure Mark Gorrie, Senior Director APAC NortonLifeLock said: “Australians are using dating apps and websites to make connections, however it’s clear they are inadvertently sharing too much of their personal information publicly online.

“This personal data could potentially become compromised and be used by cybercriminals. I would urge anyone delving into online dating to consider all the information you share – both within your dating profile and more generally online – and take the necessary steps to keep your information safe,” Gorrie continued.

So, what are more other findings of note?

• Of those surveyed, a quarter (25%) admit they have used technology to check on their current or ex-partner online without their knowledge or consent. This figure increases to 41% for young Australians aged 18-39, compared to only 14% of Australians aged 40 or older.
• Amongst respondents who have ever had a romantic partner, the most common creeping behaviours include checking a current or ex-partner’s phone to view text messages, phone calls, direct messages, emails or photos (10%) and reviewing a device’s search history (9%).
• Some of those surveyed even admit to: using their partner or ex-partner’s password to log into their device or online accounts (7%); tracking their location via a location sharing app (5%); and creating a fake profile to check on them on social media (4%).
• Generational divides show close to one in three (30%) Australians surveyed, aged 18-39, saying they don’t care if they are stalked online by a current or ex-partner as long as they are not being stalked in person, compared to one in five (20%) of those aged 40 or over.
• Further, one in five (21%) Australians aged 18 – 39 agree that stalking a current or ex-partner online is harmless, compared to 13% of those aged 40 or older.
• Of those surveyed who have ever had a romantic partner, 3% admit to uploading “stalkerware” or “creepware” on their partner or ex-partner’s devices, which could provide them with details on their location, interactions (calls and SMS) and photos.
• Of those who have stalked an ex or current partner, almost a third surveyed (29%) did so in the belief that their partner was “up to no good”.

Gorrie added: “This study tells us that two-thirds of Australians surveyed claim they actively take steps to hide their online footprint, to protect their online activities and personal information (66%), yet with a quarter of those surveyed using technology to check on their current or ex-partner online without their knowledge or consent, it highlights the importance of comprehensive device security, especially for your smartphone.”

Other key findings from the 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report include:

• Majority of Australians are alarmed about loss of privacy.
• 70% of Australians surveyed say they are more alarmed than ever about their privacy, with more than four in five (86%) wanting to do more to protect it.
• Despite the significant concern about their online privacy, more than half (58%) of Australians who took part in the study believe it’s impossible to truly protect their personal data online – explaining perhaps why 70% of Australians surveyed say they accept taking certain risks online for greater convenience.
• Almost half of Australians surveyed have experienced cybercrime
• The continued shift from in-person to virtual has provided fertile ground for cybercriminals. Within Australia, nearly half of adults surveyed (46%) have been a victim of a cybercrime, while a quarter (26%) of those surveyed report experiencing a cybercrime in the past 12 months alone. The most common cybercrime experienced was detecting unauthorised access to an online account (28%). Around one in five (19%) detected malicious software on a device.
• Around a third of Australians surveyed experienced a phishing scam (30%), and nearly one in five experienced a social media hack or email hack (18% for both).
• More than half of Australians would not know what to do if their identity was stolen. The majority of Australians surveyed (59%), whether they have personally experienced identity theft or not, say they are very worried their identity will be stolen.
• A third of respondents (35%) are resigned to the fact that they expect their identity to be stolen at some point, yet nearly 3 in 5 (59%) would have no idea what to do if it were stolen.

Gorrie noted: “There is an opportunity for Australians to learn more about the steps they can take to protect the personal data on their devices. It is critical we continue to think holistically about our online presence beyond just social media profiles, and what information we share or allow people access.”

So, what are some of Mark Gorrie’s tips for those concerned that stalkerware or creepware may have been installed on their device, and how you can find it, remove it and protect yourself?

• Often, to install stalkerware of creepware, access to your device is needed. To protect yourself best, ensure you have 2FA (2-Factor Authentication) or biometric login enabled – so more than just a password is needed.
• In some cases, creepware can be installed remotely on your device through a link. Beware of files or programmes from third party sources. Illegal downloads or freeware from untrusted sources can sometimes be used by hackers to infect your devices with malware.
• To ensure you don’t have creepware or stalkware installed on your device, it is important to fully inspect all apps on your devices and check nothing new has been added.
• Monitor your device’s battery use, a change could be a sign that an unexpected app is draining the battery.
• Review the permissions for each app – such as location, contact lists, access to calls, texts, camera, microphone and image gallery. If there isn’t a clear need for the app, simply delete it.
• Only download apps from trusted and verified sources, such as the Apple App store, Google Play or Windows store, as they will have undergone approval. You can add an extra level of security by installing security software to scan apps for any suspicious activity. Norton 360 includes mobile app scanning, which monitors every app download.

Following these steps will help to reduce the risk to your privacy and data from unknown or anonymous actors.

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