New Delhi: Gen Zs globally and in the Asia‑Pacific are less likely than older generations to use antivirus software on smartphones or change passwords regularly despite spending more time online, a report said on Friday.
Gen Zs globally reported high confidence in navigating the digital world, the report from Kaspersky said after surveying about 7,200 respondents worldwide.
The report found 57 per cent of Gen Zs globally spend more time online than offline, with 56 per cent of APAC Gen Zs mirroring that trend.
Smartphones play a particularly central role in their digital lives, with 75 per cent of APAC Gen Zs naming them as their main device for regular internet use, the report added.
About two‑thirds of Gen Z respondents in APAC say they feel confident but only 26 per cent across the region rate their understanding of digital threats and online safety practices as advanced.
Understanding of digital threats and protective measures was reported highest in India (35 per cent), followed by Indonesia and Malaysia (28 per cent each), while confidence in digital security knowledge is notably lower in Vietnam (24 per cent), Thailand (23 per cent), and especially China (10 per cent).
Protective behaviours lagged as only 22 per cent of APAC Gen Zs use antivirus software on mobile devices and 35 per cent change passwords regularly, compared with higher shares among Millennials, Gen X and Boomers.
However, 90 per cent of Gen Z respondents in APAC reported experiencing at least one cyber incident in the past year, including social media hacks, data leaks, scams and loss of access to gaming accounts, the report noted.
“Gen Z has grown up online, so digital services often feel intuitive and familiar to them. However, familiarity should not be confused with security expertise. Being able to navigate apps, platforms and devices confidently does not necessarily mean being able to identify scams, manage passwords securely or protect personal data,” said Irina Ermilova, Vice President for Consumer Product Management at Kaspersky.
IANS
