iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
The .au Domain Administration (auDA) determined that while an overwhelming majority of businesses rely on the internet, cyber security causes many to lack confidence in it.
In the findings, as part of auDA's Digital Lives of Australians 2021 report, 89 per cent of Australians reported that the internet has had a positive impact on their lives with 58 per cent of workers reporting that they would not be able to complete their job without access to the internet.
However, despite Australia’s reliance on the internet for connectivity, only a minority of Australian’s feel very comfortable on it.
Among the top concerns, the report illustrated that 84 per cent of users worry about their personal information with 81 per cent worrying about the privacy of their online activities.
“auDA is pleased to present the inaugural Digital Lives of Australians report, which provides a rich understanding of Australians' online activities; the challenges they face; who they turn to for advice; and how they hope to use the internet in the future," auDA CEO Rosemary Sinclair AM said.
“Overwhelmingly, Australians say the internet delivers significant value. However, the report also highlights opportunities for more investment into education and support initiatives that will boost the digital skills and confidence of Australians.
“The research will shape how we continue to deliver a trusted .au Domain for the benefit of all Australians, and we hope it sparks discussion and innovation between consumers, industry, business, government and academic institutions that will help Australians harness the full potential of the internet.”
The research was revealed as over 4,000 UK businesses had been infected with a skimming code.
The UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have been forced to inform 4,151 compromised online shops, after most were exploited via a known bug in the popular Magento e-commerce software.
The NCSC argued it was particularly important that digital retailers get their e-commerce security in order ahead of the busy festive shopping period, which begins at the end of this week with the Black Friday weekend.
Falling victim to cyber crime could leave online businesses and its customers out of pocket, potentially causing reputational damage, according to Sarah Lyons, NCSC deputy director for economy and society.
“We want small and medium-sized online retailers to know how to prevent their sites being exploited by opportunistic cyber criminals over the peak shopping period.
“It’s important to keep websites as secure as possible and I would urge all business owners to follow our guidance and make sure their software is up-to-date,” Lyons said.
[Related: Over 4k online businesses in the UK infected with digital skimming code]
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
