With the summer season approaching, May is a popular month to start a new diet routine, and people are turning online for quick solutions. Thanks to better weather, more hours of sunlight and planned vacations, consumers have more opportunities to be active, which kick-starts a new wave of diets long after New Year’s resolutions come to an end. So it is timely that Intel Security today released findings from its new study, “Online Security Diet: You Are What You Click,” which examines the online behaviours and attitudes of Canadians ages 21 to 54 toward dieting clickbait. The research revealed that when it comes to the desire for the ideal body, people may be willing to sacrifice their online security if it takes them a step closer to achieving desired results.
Key highlights include:
- 56 per cent of survey respondents have clicked on a promotional link that offers a diet program.
- 50 per cent of survey respondents would most likely click on a promotional link for a diet program before the summer.
- 26 per cent of respondents are more likely to click on a promotional link or an article offering dietary tips featuring or endorsed by a celebrity.
- 19 per cent of survey respondents have purchased a service or product from a promotional link without knowing whether or not it’s a secure site.
- More than 40 per cent of respondents would be likely to click on a promotional link for diet programs generated by a Google search (42 per cent), with others reporting they would click links featured on Facebook (36 per cent), a website (26 per cent), or within an app that they already use (19 per cent).
- Many respondents report they are willing to share information like email address (57 per cent), full name (39 per cent) or age (40 per cent) with a website, service or company in hopes of reaching their goal weight or dream body.
- Yet 43 per cent of respondents don’t know how to check if a website is secure before providing payment details or personal information.
How You Can Better Protect Yourself to Avoid Online Diet Scams:
- Click with caution. Offers from sites that seem too good to be true, such as “Lose 10 pounds in one week,” may indicate that a site should be viewed with caution. Websites or emails might include phishing links that can lead you to sites that lure you into giving personal information to cybercriminals or download malware to your computer.
- Browse safely. Beware of phony websites. Sites aimed at scamming consumers may have an address very similar to a legitimate site, like “Wait Watchers” opposed to “Weight Watchers.” Phony sites often have misspellings, poor grammar or low-resolution images. If a site asks for personal information, double check the URL, and make sure it’s the site you intended to visit and not an imposter. Use a web reputation tool such as McAfee WebAdvisor that can help identify risky sites and inform you that you may be about to visit one.
- Develop strong passwords. Do away with the “123321” password, and use a strong one, like “9&4yiw2pyqx#.” Regularly change passwords and don’t use the same passwords across all your accounts. As a way to improve the quality of your passwords, consider using a password manager.
- Stay up to date. The best security software updates automatically to protect your computer. Use the manufacturer’s latest operating systems and allow security patches to be updated on an ongoing basis. Also ensure you have the appropriate software set to conduct routine scans.
- Use a comprehensive security solution. Protecting all your devices with a comprehensive security solution, like McAfee LiveSafe, can help shield you from malware and other cyberattacks.
To find out more information:
You can also visit the Intel Security Facebook page at facebook.com/intelsecurity and McAfee Security Advice Center for information on the latest consumer threats and tips for living safer online.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
This entry was posted on May 17, 2016 at 8:58 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Intel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Intel Security Reveals Security Risks Associated With Unsafe Online Search Trends
With the summer season approaching, May is a popular month to start a new diet routine, and people are turning online for quick solutions. Thanks to better weather, more hours of sunlight and planned vacations, consumers have more opportunities to be active, which kick-starts a new wave of diets long after New Year’s resolutions come to an end. So it is timely that Intel Security today released findings from its new study, “Online Security Diet: You Are What You Click,” which examines the online behaviours and attitudes of Canadians ages 21 to 54 toward dieting clickbait. The research revealed that when it comes to the desire for the ideal body, people may be willing to sacrifice their online security if it takes them a step closer to achieving desired results.
Key highlights include:
How You Can Better Protect Yourself to Avoid Online Diet Scams:
To find out more information:
You can also visit the Intel Security Facebook page at facebook.com/intelsecurity and McAfee Security Advice Center for information on the latest consumer threats and tips for living safer online.
Share this:
Like this:
Related
This entry was posted on May 17, 2016 at 8:58 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Intel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.