Millennials are more likely to fall victim to cyber attacks than babyboomers, reveals Proofpoint’s annual State of the Phish report. It also shows that 83% of global respondents experienced phishing attacks in 2018, compared to just 10% of respondents reporting experiencing a ransomware attack. Furthermore, older generations were less likely to fall victim to cyber attacks than their younger counterparts: 73% of those aged 54+ know correctly what phishing is, compared to 58% of those aged 22–27. In addition, 52% of those aged 54+ know correctly what ransomware is, compared to only 40% of those aged 22–37.
Cyber security strategist Adenike Cosgrove, EMEA, Proofpoint, said: “Lack of cyber security awareness, in particular among the millennial/Generation Z demographic, presents a greater threat than many businesses expect. Our latest research shows that older generational groups can more accurately identify threats such as phishing and ransomware.”
