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A new report from the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre reveals some worrying trends among all Australians.
Younger Australians are increasingly becoming complacent about online and device security, according to new research from the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C).
Aus3C’s The Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors Report, amusingly titled Oh Behave! 2024-2025, paints a picture of not just declining faith in security among Gen Z and Millennials, but a wider pattern of frustration among Australians of all ages.
The report – published ahead of Cyber Security Awareness Month in October – polled 6,500 people from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, France and India. The polling was conducted by risk management firm CybSafe.
The poll found that the majority of young Australians don’t believe online security is worth the effort and are reducing activities online in response. On the other hand, 43 per cent assume their devices are secure by default, showing a high degree of complacency when it comes to device security.
Gen Z is also one of the worst cohorts regarding secure passwords. While the use of common personal passwords such as the names of pets has increased across the community, 52 per cent of Gen Z Australians use personal information as their passwords.
The adoption of multifactor authentication (MFA) follows a similar pattern. Eighty-one per cent of all age groups are aware of MFA; Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to not use it while among those that do, many have since stopped using MFA.
Online security is a frustrating matter for all generations of Australians, however, 52 per cent feel frustrated by online security processes, while 44 per cent find staying safe online complex and intimidating. Australians are also increasingly failing to see the value in staying secure, with 60 per cent of those polled saying it’s simply not worth the time and effort, a 9 per cent decrease compared to last year.
“Complacency and frustration are dangerous combinations in the fight against cyber crime in Australia,” Matthew Salier, chief executive officer at the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, said in a statement.
“Vulnerability to cyber attacks is of particular concern across younger generations because they're not taking adequate precautions, relying too heavily on others or assuming their devices are secure.”
Artificial intelligence is also increasingly a concern. Fifty-two per cent of respondents said they had not received training on how to use AI safely, with that number climbing to 58 per cent among students. Australians also have the least trust in AI globally, with only 35 per cent of Australians having any faith in companies such as OpenAI, compared to 71 per cent of those polled in India.
“As the threat landscape evolves with the introduction of AI, we must equip individuals and organisations in Australia with the tools they need to navigate this complex environment,” Salier said.
You can read the full report here.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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