Scienza e Tecnologia
NordVPN study: 1 in 3 Brits are the most worried about their personal pictures being made public
Besides that, almost a third (28%) are afraid of exposed online conversations as well as browsing history (27%).
"Personal data is important information that no one should access without permission. It encompasses details about a person's religious beliefs, political opinions, genetic or health data, racial or ethnic origin, biometric data, etc. The leakage of such info might cause someone financial or reputational damage or be used for malicious purposes if it falls into the wrong hands," comments Daniel Markuson , a digital privacy expert at NordVPN .
Criminals might use personal data for various reasons, including bullying or harassing their victims. For example, they can snatch a private image of you and threaten to publish it. They might also manipulate the context of your photo, thereby harming your reputation.
Cyberstalkers might even use personal info to follow or even physically assault someone, while others may exploit it for purely pragmatic reasons, such as snatching your money, stealing your online identity, or spamming.
"It's not only cybercriminals who are interested in your data. Social media networks, ISPs, third-party organizations, websites, and governmental institutions regularly collect users' personal data and browsing habits for marketing purposes. They frequently use cookies to track your digital footprints," Daniel Markuson adds.
Daniel Markuson recommends the following steps to make yourself safer online:
The survey was conducted by the NordVPN Research department for the period from March 29 to April 3, 2021 . The survey's target group was residents of the UK over the age of 18, and the sample was taken from national internet users.
NordVPN service more than 14 million users worldwide, protecting them from malicious internet websites and ads. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption, malware blocking, and Onion Over VPN. For more information: nordvpn.com .