‘Cybercrime is still a major problem in the Netherlands’.

Despite all the campaigns, many Dutch people are still affected by cybercrime, according to a recent study by security specialist Norton LifeLock, a subsidiary of Symantec. More than half of them are also concerned about their privacy and data breaches. What is striking is that data is still easily shared when it comes to greater ease of use.

In 2018, almost a quarter of Dutch consumers became victims of cybercrime. This is no less than 3.3 million people. In addition, more than half of the interviewed Dutch people expect to become victims of cybercrime themselves by 2019. Just over half of consumers surveyed consider that they are as likely to become victims of cybercrime as, or even more likely to get the flu.

A lot of damage was also incurred financially, according to the 2018 Norton LifeLock Cyber Safety Insights Report, which Techzine has at its disposal. The impact of cybercrime cost consumers about €349.1 million last year. Of this, €14.4 million was accounted for by the hours lost to solve the problems. Per Dutchman this was 107 euro.

In addition, it took an average of 4.4 hours to solve the problems caused by cybercrime. About a third of the respondents even spent a week or more on troubleshooting.

Concerns about privacy

According to the researchers, it is therefore logical that the Dutch are more concerned than ever about their privacy and any data leaks at companies that store their personal data. In addition, an overwhelming majority consider it very important that businesses should be able to be required to ensure that consumers have the right to keep their personal data, where and to whom they make it available and how it is used.

In addition, more than a third of them indicate that there should be a contact point for consumers where they can report misuse of personal data, or that fines should be consistently imposed on companies that abuse this data.

Ease of use over real privacy

Despite this clear concern, Norton LifeLock’s researchers say that when it comes down to it, ease of use takes precedence over real privacy. A majority of respondents indicated that they accept the risks associated with online privacy in exchange for the ease of use of online services.

For example, a majority are simply willing to sell or give away location data and browser history to companies. Some Dutch people are even willing to share information about identification documents, such as driving licence or passport details.

Not willing to pay

Furthermore, the specialists found that the Dutch were not prepared to pay in order to really guarantee the protection of personal data. More than half do not want to pay for extra privacy protection when using social media, in contact with healthcare institutions, in financial transactions or in contact with retailers, among other things.

Consumers want more control over their own privacy and a stricter approach to those who abuse it. However, if they want this check without hassle or cost, Director Benelux & Nordics Robert den Drijver of Symantec states in a comment. This makes them willing to take risks when it comes to privacy, because this is easier. Convenience is therefore still decisive when it comes to sharing personal data.