The majority of Canadians have one major fear about the internet

As Canadians become more reliant on the internet for services from online shopping to communicating with friends and family, or even applying for a job, many continue to be concerned about cybersecurity threats.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has found that 80 per cent of internet users in Canada are concerned about malware when using the internet, according to their annual Internet Factbook report, which polled 2,050 adults in March.

“One of the things that’s really happening now is that cybersecurity is becoming a problem for pretty much everyone,” Spencer Callaghan, communications manager with the CIRA told Yahoo Canada.

“That just goes to show that when it comes to being able to access the internet, it’s not just about having a fast connection or about having great wireless internet in your home, it’s about actually having your computer not locked up by malware or by some sort of hack.”

The CIRA is a not-for-profit organization that runs the .CA domain registry for Canada and has developed products that help protect the DNS, domain name system, against cyber attacks.

Canada’s biggest fears and risks on the internet

According to the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, malware is one of the most common threats to computer users through viruses like spyware and Trojan horses, which can reformat hard drives, delete files, steal personal information or take control of your computer.

Callaghan says that the main thing Canadians can do to prevent these attacks is to run up-to-date software.

“That doesn’t just mean your Windows or Mac OS operating system, it means everything,” he said. “That should be your internet router...all the software related to your system, whether it be third-party software or first-party software.”

Using a strong password is also important, including administrative passwords and devices like your Wi-Fi router.

“Those types of things are huge vulnerabilities and a lot people leave those set at the default, which makes them an easy door for hackers,” Callaghan said.

The CIRA’s report found that 32 per cent of respondents said they have been victims of a successful cyber attack.

“That’s pretty notable because...cybercriminals in the past have tended to target large organizations,” Callaghan said. “Now what we’re seeing is that a lot of the tools that these hackers use...they’re actually really cheap and they’re readily available on the dark web.”

The report also found that 15 per cent say they do not know if they have personally experienced such attacks.

“You’d be amazed how many computers, if you did a scan for malware, might actually have something hidden that you wouldn’t know about, that would be potentially harmful,” Callaghan said.

Canadians fear violations by Facebook

When it comes to social media, at least half of all Canadians are concerned about potential privacy violations while using these platforms, with 73 per cent of respondents expressing concerns about potential privacy violations from using Facebook specifically.

Three quarters of individuals surveyed were aware that social media companies may store and share users’ personal information without specific consent and 43 per cent changed their privacy settings when they found out about this.

“I think most Canadians are familiar with the fact that by using social media platforms they’re giving up a certain percentage of their privacy but what’s important is that they understand just how much that is,” Callaghan said.

Although these platforms as “fairly transparent” when it comes to disclosing that personal information is used to try to push targeted advertisement, Canadians need to evaluate if it’s actual worth the exchange.

“Canadians accept the fact that these platforms have that business model, they need to be aware of what they’re willing to give up in order to use that technology and whether or not it’s worth that exchange,” Callaghan explained.

Online harassment was also identified as a significant concern for Canadians, with 32 per cent of respondents identifying that they are reluctant to use social media or participate in an online discussions due to cyberbullying and online harassment concerns.

“The different platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, they’re trying to address this but it still doesn’t feel like they’re necessarily doing enough and what that means is Canadians are turning away,” Callaghan said. “They need to be tackling this issue more fiercely than they are right now for the protection of Canadians but also for the health of their own platforms.”

What’s your biggest concern when you’re on the internet? Vote in the poll above and leave your thoughts in the comments below.