About 37% of the younger population surveyed believe cybercriminals will not pry on their online accounts because they are way too boring. But Kaspersky’s latest global report, “More Connected Than Ever Before: How We Build Our Digital Comfort Zones,” also indicates that they value cybersecurity.

However, one habit seems to refute these claims when the global security company’s report says that 13% of them admit to using their neighbors’ Wi-Fi in the past without them knowing.

The report explores people’s changing habits and it revealed that millennials value their online security more than expected. In fact, 36% still feel that their efforts are not enough and they should be doing more strengthen their digital security.

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“2020 has been a defining year for the digital home. With many of us all over the world in lockdown, the amount we interact with and rely on, technology has increased dramatically,” said Andrew Winton, VP, Marketing at Kaspersky. “Because of this, we wanted to conduct a study that would unveil just how much this year has impacted our actions and our feelings when it comes to our digital life; what are our ‘digital comfort zones’, and what they mean to us now?”

Increased time online

The respondents in the age group under the millennial generation said they are now spending nearly two (1.8) extra hours online every day compared to the start of the year when people can still go out. It brings the daily average up to 7.1 hours a day. Almost half (49%) say this increased time online has made them more aware of their digital security.

Millennials satisfy the lack of personal interaction with friends and colleagues through social media. However, the report found that almost two thirds (61%) say that the rise of online dating from home is a particular concern for their digital security.

To address these concerns, almost half (52%) of millennials now say that they only run trustworthy apps on their devices from official stores such as Apple Store and Google Play, and 49% run regular anti-virus scans on each of their devices to protect themselves.

“It’s not a surprise that millennials, who will shape how society uses technology for years to come, are placing more emphasis on digital security – particularly as the line between work and home becomes increasingly blurred,” Winton said. “Protecting ourselves from digital threats can be simple, and this helps us better understand how we can help optimize safety within individual digital comfort zones.”

To make sure devices and personal information remain protected on the internet, Kaspersky advises millennials to:

• Pay attention to the website’s authenticity. Do not visit websites until you are sure that they are legitimate and start with ‘https’. Try looking for reviews of sites that seem suspicious to you
• Keep a list of your online accounts so you have a full understanding of which services and websites may be storing your personal information
• Block the installation of programs from unknown sources in your smartphone’s settings and only install apps from official app stores
• Start using “Privacy Checker” to help make your social media profiles more private. It will make it harder for third parties to find highly personal information
• Use Kaspersky Security Cloud with its home network monitoring feature that can send real-term alerts and warnings to all devices in the home that are at risk, and detect Wi-Fi intruders immediately.