A survey by cybersecurity firm Surfshark found that six out of 10 children between the ages of eight and 12 are exposed to cyber risk online. The number of cyber crimes against children is growing rapidly every year, and with a sudden increase in remote schools, it will increase by 144 percent in 2020, the report said. One in two children is exposed to cyber bullying and about one-third are exposed to phishing or hacking. In the United States, nearly 12 million children have been exposed to cyber risk in the last three years. The report suggests that educating children about Internet safety can prevent these negative consequences. According to the report, children in Asia-Pacific countries have better online risk management skills than high-income countries.
According to a recent survey by cybersecurity company Surfshark, six out of 10 people between the ages of eight and 12 face online cyber risk. Also, one in two children experiences cyber bullying and about one-third are exposed to cyber threats such as phishing or hacking. The number of cyber crimes against children is increasing by five to nine percent every year. But in 2020, with the popularity of distance education, it increased by 144 percent and the financial loss of cybercrime against children reached 660,000 (approximately Rs. 50,313,400), down 32 percent year on year.
According to the report, in the last three years, approximately 12 million children in the United States have been exposed to cyber risk, 9 million have been affected by cyber bullying and 6 million have been exposed to cyber threats. Thailand, the Philippines and Turkey have the highest levels of online risk for children, while countries such as Japan, Italy and Spain have the lowest levels of online risk. Malaysia, India and Japan are the top countries capable of handling online threats.
Online safety education helps children deal with cyber bullying and the risks of phishing and other cyber threats, research suggests. High-income countries such as Saudi Arabia and Uruguay lack basic Internet safety education for children. In contrast, children in Asia-Pacific countries – India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – have online risk management skills for children.
The survey found that India has 30 per cent stronger online security education activities than the global average. Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand have better online safety education programs than India.