Norton study found 5 percent of New Zealanders surveyed experienced identity theft in 2021, 
while 10 percent of respondents have clicked on a fraudulent package notification link 
in the past 12 months

Over the past year, the continued shift from in-person to virtual has provided fertile ground for cybercriminals— 33 percent of New Zealanders surveyed by Norton reported having experienced cybercrime in the past 12 months alone. As a result of the pandemic, we continue to connect to the internet for everything from work and school to entertainment, social connection and shopping, yet cybercriminals have taken advantage of this to launch consumer attacks and convincing scams.

The 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report conducted online in partnership with The Harris Poll among over 10,000 adults in 10 countries, including 1,000 adults in New Zealand, revealed that cybercrime victims in New Zealand spent an average of 4.8 hours trying to resolve their issues, with an average loss of $135NZD as a result of cybercrime.

The Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report found the most common cybercrime New Zealanders surveyed have ever experienced was detecting unauthorised access to an online account (37%). Nearly one-third of those surveyed (31%) report detecting malicious software (e.g., spyware, ransomware, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware) on a computer, Wi-Fi network, smartphone, tablet, smart home, or other connected device.

“The fact that one third of Kiwis surveyed have experienced cybercrime in the past year, shows that cybercriminals are increasingly taking advantage of our heightened digital footprint. As we face an ongoing pandemic with work and school oscillating between in-person and online, both companies and individuals will have a continued responsibility to ensure the proper protections are in place to defend themselves against cybercriminals,” says Mark Gorrie, Senior Director, Asia Pacific, NortonLifeLock.

Identity theft

Over one in five New Zealand adults surveyed (21%) report ever experiencing identity theft, compared with 16 percent in 2020, with 5 percent impacted in the past year alone, which equates to over 193,000 Kiwis.

Of those who experienced identity theft, more than two in five (43%) discovered the theft themselves, most commonly by monitoring their financial accounts online (18%). More than one in three were notified about their identity theft by an external source (36%), with more than one in five (21%) reporting they were notified by their bank or credit card company1.

The vast majority of identity theft victims (95%) surveyed claim to have felt some impact, freezing their credit card(s) (47%), giving up their time resolving the issues created (33%), or having money stolen (29%)1.

The survey found that younger New Zealanders are more likely than their older counterparts to be caught off-guard if faced with identity theft, stating that they’ve never considered that their identity could be stolen (46% aged 18-39 vs 35% aged 40+).

“Younger Kiwis may feel more invincible because they are more tech savvy; however the fact is cybercriminals do not distinguish between victims’ ages and will launch attacks whenever they spot vulnerabilities in anything from easy-to-guess login credentials, unsecured online connections, or devices which are not updated to patch security flaws,” says Gorrie.

Data privacy

Most New Zealanders surveyed are concerned about data privacy (82%) and want to do more to protect their data (84%). In fact, seven in ten (70%) have taken steps to hide their online footprint.

The most common steps taken are changing the default privacy settings on devices, for example changing location permission on an app, or limiting ad tracking (34% of respondents) and enabling multi-factor authentication (34% of those surveyed). For some, these precautions extend beyond the protection of their own information, with over two in five parents of minors surveyed (45%) saying they have used online parental controls on children’s accounts or devices.

Viruses, hacks and scams

Despite Kiwis’ efforts to protect themselves online, many still fall victim to online viruses, privacy breaches and scams. Nearly half of New Zealanders (49%) report they have personally experienced a computer and/or mobile device virus, with one in five (20%) reporting they have experienced this multiple times. Further, nearly two in five have personally experienced a phishing scam (39%) and around one in four have experienced a social media hack (28%), or an email hack (22%).

Finally, 10 percent of those surveyed report that they have fallen victim to a shipping-related scam in the past 12 months alone - such as clicking on a fraudulent package notification link.

“It's so important to maintain good digital hygiene - keep your devices updated with the latest operating system, use strong passwords combined with multi-factor authentication and use comprehensive security to help keep your devices and data safe. Also, don'tgrant apps broad permissions, only let them access what they need to function. Broad permissions could lead to malware being able to perform unwanted tasks and spread further, so make sure you remain vigilant so you can enjoy the best of the digital world to stay connected to friends and family,” says Gorrie.

For more information on how you can help protect your digital life, please visit the Norton Internet Security Center.

About the 2022 NLCSIR – Cybercrime, ID Theft, Online Privacy, Online Creeping

This new 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Online Creeping, was conducted online in New Zealand by The Harris Poll on behalf of NortonLifeLock among 1,000 adults aged 18+. The survey was conducted November 15 – December 7, 2021. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, region, education, household size and marital status to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. To view the study’s full results and accompanying visual assets, please access the press kit at: https://www.nortonlifelock.com/us/en/norton-cyber-safety-center/.

About NortonLifeLock Inc.

NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ: NLOK) is a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, protecting and empowering people to live their digital lives safely. We are the consumer’s trusted ally in an increasingly complex and connected world. Learn more about how we’re transforming Cyber Safety atNortonLifeLock.com.

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