The Internet is essential to our daily lives. We use it at work, for fun, and to talk to each other. However, the Internet is also dangerous in some ways.

62% of adults and over 80% of 12–15-year-olds who use the Internet have experienced terrible things happen to them online.

There's no reason for you to be one of them. This article provides internet safety statistics to keep you safe online. Read on!

Editor's Choice

  • 62% of cyberattacks use data gathered through spear-phishing.
  • Cybercrime victim counts increased to 69% during COVID-19 from 2019 to 2020. 
  • 20% of Millennials and 18% of Generation Z have had their identities stolen.
  • 50% of people do not feel private online.
  • Most cybercrimes happen to people between 20 and 39.
  • 46% of women and 37% of men said their social media accounts had been hacked.
  • 31% of people do not feel safe when they are online.
  • 61% of parents have looked at their teens' visited websites.
  • 39% of parents use parental controls to block, filter, or monitor what their teens do online.

Is the Internet Safe?

The quick answer is no.

One study showed there is an internet attack every 39 seconds! The Internet has many risks, including cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, and identity theft.

To understand internet dangers, the next sections will examine internet-related crimes, victim demographics, and safety trends.

Now a part of our lives, the Internet has also become a breeding ground for criminals. Cybercrime is rising, so keeping up with the trend is crucial.

The statistics below show how big the online crime business is and how it affects the community:

1. 96% of threat actors use spear-phishing to collect information.

(Purple Sec)

Compared to malware sites, phishing sites are 75% more prevalent. Facebook and Google's $100 million loss in 2017 exemplifies how much phishing attacks cost corporations.

2. On average, it takes 6.7 hours to resolve a cybercrime.

(Business Wire)

In the past year, cybercrime victims worldwide spent an average of 6.7 hours figuring out how to fix the problem. This adds up to an estimated 2.7 billion lost hours. 

The time it takes for cybercrime victims to resolve their problems emphasizes the disruptive effects of cybercrime on people and society.

3. Cybercrime victim counts increased to 69% during COVID-19 from 2019 to 2020. 

(Surfshark)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cybercrime victims jumped by 69%, from 467,000 in 2019 to 792,000 in 2020. 

The number of people under 20 who fell victim to cybercrimes rose by 100%, from an average of 10,000 per year in 2019 to 20,000.

We can determine which groups need particular security by looking at cybercriminals' targets. Phishing was the most widely reported cybercrime in 2022, affecting about 300,000 people.

Knowing what crimes are most likely to happen to different groups can help devise good ways to stop them. Here are the statistics:

4. Children don't feel safe on social media 80% of the time.

(Independent)

Most kids in the UK think social media sites don't do enough to protect them from pornography, self-harm, bullying, and hate.

4 out of 5 surveyed felt websites should do more to protect them from inappropriate information. They noted that "hurtful messages" make them feel bad about themselves or cause self-harm.

5. 20% of Millennials and 18% of Generation Z have had their identities stolen at least once.

(NCSA)

Cybercriminals often target Gen Z and Millennial students because they use the Internet all day for school, fun, and work. 

Phishing, identity theft, romance scams, and cyberbullying affect them more. 34% of people surveyed had their money, information, or identity stolen by cybercriminals.

6. 50% of people do not feel private online.

(Malwarebytes)

Overall, 50% of people say they don't feel safe online, and 31% say they don't feel private online. Using the Internet has become increasingly crucial to daily life and less and less of a choice.

7. Most cybercrimes happen to people between 20 and 39.

(Comparitech)

Cyberattacks are more common among people in their 20s to 40s. Their age group must be more vigilant about online security. That said, attacks happened less often as people got older. 

8. In 2022, there were 4,783 cybercrime victims for every million internet users in the UK. 

(Estate Agent Networking)

There were an average of 788 cyberattacks on UK businesses weekly, a 77% increase from 2021. There were 4,783 cybercrime victims per million internet users, 40% more than in 2020. 

On the other hand, the US had the second-highest number of victims per million internet users, with 1,494. It was a 13% drop from 2020.

9. 46% of women and 37% of men said their social media accounts had been hacked.

(Malwarebytes)

46% of women said their social media accounts had been hacked, while only 37% of men said the same. Women reporting higher rates of hacked accounts shows that women are more vulnerable to digital attacks.

10. 10% of people with antivirus software don't know what it protects them from.

(Malware bytes)

10% of antivirus software users lack awareness about its protective capabilities. It shows the need to educate users on threats and maximize defense through antivirus software. 

11. 31% of people do not feel safe when they are online.

(Malware bytes)

The fact that 31% of people don't feel safe online shows that people don't trust digital interactions and think risks are involved. Cybersecurity concerns must be addressed quickly and effectively to create a safer, more confident online environment.

Children's curiosity in the online world exposes them to risks categorized as the 3 C's: Content, Contact, and Conduct.

That is also the reason why parental monitoring is as crucial as ever. It enables parents to grasp the online dangers their children may encounter.

Here are the safety trends to know: 

12. 61% of parents have examined their teens' visits to websites. 

(Pew Research Center)

Most parents keep an eye on the websites their teens visit. It shows that parents know the risks and want to shield their kids from potentially dangerous web content.

13. 39% of parents use parental controls to block, filter, or monitor what their teens do online. 

(Young Consumers)

Many parents use parental controls to keep their teens safe online and limit their exposure to potentially harmful content. 95% of parents have talked to their teens about what's suitable to watch online, and 39% do so often. 

14. 44% of parents report watching their children use digital devices.

(Kaspersky)

A new Kaspersky study found that most parents want to regulate their kids' technology use. 50% of Americans use parental control applications, and 49% often monitor their kids' Internet history. 

Overall, 44% of parents say their kids use digital devices while being watched by either a parent (36%) or another family member (8%).

15. 87% of parents globally think controlling what their kids do online is primarily up to them.

(Kaspersky)

Parents worldwide are teaching their children how to use digital gadgets safely and moderately. 87% of parents worldwide think controlling what their kids do online is up to them.

But parents can't handle everything by themselves. More than a quarter of all parents believe that schools (28%) and kids (27%) are responsible for this.

More parents in Egypt (44%), Malaysia (40%), Nigeria (47%), Saudi Arabia (47%), and the United Arab Emirates (50%) want schools to be responsible for their kids' digital habits.

16. 54% of parents teach their kids how to use technology healthily.

(Kaspersky)

96% of the 11,000 parents surveyed put limits on their children's use of technology. 54% say they teach their whole family to use technology healthily. This rule about habits says that they can only watch so many videos (60%) and play so many online games (52%).

The Bottom Line

Cybercrime is getting worse, and people of all ages could become victims. By knowing about these risks, you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Keep these latest internet safety statistics in mind, and you'll avoid many unpleasant surprises lurking online for the negligent!