Youth prone to misuse of personal information: Kaspersky study

A study conducted by Kaspersky Lab has revealed that over 93 percent of people make their personal information accessible to strangers, out of which 70 percent share photos and videos of their children and the rest 45 percent share their own private videos and photos.

These habits are worse amongst the younger generations, who are unaware of the fact of this information being misused.

Through a report titled 'My Precious Data: Stranger Danger', Kaspersky revealed that one in ten persons have shared their device PIN with strangers, while one in five have left their phone unlocked among an unknown group of people.

To this effect, people are exposing themselves to identity theft or financial attack by sharing financial and payment details (37 percent), scans of their passports, driving licenses and other personal documents (41 percent) or passwords (30 percent).

"In today's online world, sharing information with others has never been easier and, in many ways, that's what the Internet was created for. But by disclosing important and sensitive information with other people at the push of a button, you relinquish control over it, because you can't be sure where that data is going, and how it will be used. Users are literally putting their precious data, and even the devices that store it, in the hands of others," said Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab.

The study further shows that 61 percent of those aged 16-24 tend to share personal photos and videos, compared to just 38 percent of those over 55 years. This pattern also extends to financial information, with two-fifths of young people sharing their financial and payment details (42 percent of 16-24 year olds) with others, compared to just 27 percent of those over 55 years of age.

"While it's completely unrealistic to expect Internet users to stop sharing photos, personal details and other information with each other, we do urge people to think twice before they share important information publicly online. We also encourage all Internet users to put safety measures in place to protect their data, and their privacy, should their devices or data fall into the wrong hands," added Mochola.