Mobile Portrait of a Pole: only half of us feel safe on the Internet

On February 11, we celebrate Safer Internet Day. This annual event initiated by the European Commission promotes a safe and responsible use of the Internet. In connection with this initiative, Bank Millennium shares the results of the "Mobile Portrait of a Pole" survey in the part concerning online security.

The survey shows that respondents rate their sense of security on the Internet at an average of 3.5 (on a five-point scale). Although 47 per cent of them feel safe online, as many as 35 per cent navigate the Internet with a dose of uncertainty, and every tenth respondent does not feel safe.

Respondents declare that they find it more comfortable to use banking. 74 per cent of respondents trust their bank when it comes to the protection of personal data and money, 15 per cent have limited trust in their bank, only 5 per cent declare little trust, and 6 per cent have no opinion on this issue.

At the same time, respondents were asked how they protect their personal data and money. Slightly more than 60 per cent of them do not give their login details to anyone, 56 per cent declare that they do not click on links and do not open attachments in e-mails or text messages from unknown providers, and 49 per cent do not leave their payment card in plain sight. Only one in two respondents avoids online shopping in unverified stores and carefully reads notifications from the banking app or text messages before confirming the payment (47 per cent). Even fewer survey participants declared that they secure their devices with a password or PIN (45 per cent), do not write down login details on pieces of paper or on the phone (45 per cent) or use antivirus software (40 per cent). Only about one in three survey participants admitted that they have a restricted PESEL number, update their banking application and operating system on an ongoing basis, or use strong passwords to log in.

"The “Mobile Portrait of a Pole” survey shows that Poles are increasingly aware of threats on the Internet and take specific actions to protect themselves. And despite the growing threat of cyberattacks, still too many of us share the mistaken and overly optimistic belief that others, and not ourselves, can fall victim to online criminals. As many as 40 per cent of the respondents share their login details with others, and almost 45 per cent do not follow one of the simplest rules of online security and do not verify the content of the received message. This shows how important continuous education in this area is." — says Jacek Cisło, Head of the Analysis and Reporting Team in the Bank Millennium Security Department.

As the expert emphasizes, Internet users have a key role in taking care of their online security. Cybercriminals act ruthlessly, exploit weaknesses and play on emotions, and therefore the principle of limited trust is advisable, especially online.

In 2023, CERT Polska, a cybersecurity incident response team operating within the National Research Institute NASK, recorded over 80 thousand such incidents link otwiera się w nowym oknieand this was an increase of over 100 per cent compared to 2022 (data for 2024 has not yet been published). The most common method of attack was phishing, i.e. inducing users to reveal confidential information. In the "Mobile Portrait of a Pole" survey, one in five respondents admitted that they had fallen victim to online fraud.

As many as 94 per cent of respondents know at least one method of online fraud. Most often, they mention text messages about unpaid parcels (68 per cent), fake links in text messages or e-mails (65 per cent), text messages about unpaid bills (61 per cent), scams on sales portals (59 per cent) or phone calls from a fake consultant (59 per cent).

"We are pleased with the respondents' trust in banks in security-related issues. For several years, we have been very active in increasing customer awareness and knowledge about online security or safe banking. Every year, we carry out dozens of educational campaigns, examine our communication and look for new, accessible forms of education – for example, in the form of quizzes or video materials. In our campaigns, we warn customers against new forms of attacks, remind them of the most important principles of cybersecurity, teach them how to protect themselves from an attack and where to look for help if the customer shares their data. We are also involved in sectoral activities. In most cases, online scammers use social engineering, which is why education is so important. If someone knows the means by which a criminal is trying to defraud their data, they will be more cautious and pay attention to suspicious situations right away.” - comments Paulina Bulanda-Wawruszczak, senior customer experience design expert in the Electronic Banking Department at Bank Millennium.

The "Mobile Portrait of a Pole" survey was carried out on 25-29 October 2024 by the Ogólnopolski Panel Badawczy Ariadna research panel on a representative sample of 1068 people using the CAWI method and was commissioned by the Bank Millennium Public Relations team.

See also:

• Mobile Portrait of a Pole – shopping and payments link otwiera się w nowym oknie
• Mobile Portrait of a Pole – mobile phones link otwiera się w nowym oknie
• Mobile Portrait of a Pole – banking link otwiera się w nowym oknie