Baby boomers edge millennials on cybersecurity awareness, but not by much
This may come as an awful shock, but a study by First Data has found that older adults pay more attention to cybersecurity than younger adults.
But vastly more attention? No, according to a report from ATM Martketplace, a Mobile Payments Today sister publication.
Cyberapathy
- 82 percent of millennials reuse passwords on websites and apps, and 42 percent change passwords only when made to do so.
- 70 percent of baby boomers reuse passwords on websites and apps, and 32 percent change their password only when necessary.
Cyberanxiety
- 19 percent boomers thought an online banking cyberattack was unlikely, compared with 14 percent of millennials.
- 49 percent of millennials have a heightened concern about their online security following recent cyberattacks, compared with 65 percent of boomers.
Cyberslackery
Baby boomers were also somewhat more attentive than millennials to cybersecurity in the workplace:
- 72 percent of boomers hardly ever store work-related data or files on their personal devices, compared with 69 percent of millennials.
- 86 percent of boomers hardly ever download free apps or software to a work device without consulting IT, compared with 75 percent of millennials.
- 34 percent of boomers always consider whether their online actions pose a cybersecurity risk at their workplace, compared with 21 percent of millennials.
"The results of the survey underline why businesses need to deploy state-of-the-art solutions to address the risk of cyberthreats," E.J. Jackson, First Data senior VP and head of security and fraud solutions, said in the release. "[N]ot all consumers are employing best practices, but there is technology that can help businesses and financial institutions mitigate the risk."