News
55% of Americans more worried about getting hacked than being murdered
January 2021 by Atlas VPN
According to the Atlas VPN investigation, US citizens worry much more about getting hacked than being murdered. With headlines around the world being dominated by government security breaches, large enterprise data leaks, and similar cybersecurity issues, the concerns seem to be justified.
If you are one of the individuals who worry about being a victim of identity theft or similar security issues, then continue reading, as, at the end of the article, we provide you with up-to-date and practical information on how to protect yourself against cybercrime.
Gallup, Inc., an American analytics and advisory company, carried out a telephone survey from September 30th to October 15th, 2020, to find out whether Americans frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never worry about certain crime types. In total, 1,035 respondents from the United States, 18 years, and older participated in the survey.
Interestingly, US citizens dwell on cybercrime-related offenses the most.
As many as 72% of respondents frequently or occasionally lose sleep over having their personal, credit card, or financial information stolen by hackers.
The second most agonizing crime that Americans tend to dwell on is being a victim of identity theft, at 66%. Identity theft is a type of cybercrime where criminals steal the victims’ personal information and commit fraud in the victim’s name.
Fraudsters can withdraw money, take out loans, empty checking accounts, and commit many other crimes by stealing a person’s identity. The top two spots reveal that cybercrime causes the lion’s share of worries for US citizens.
Next up, data sheds light on the fact that individuals are also troubled by thoughts about losing their physical goods. Over 35% of those surveyed reported that they often or occasionally dwell on their home being burglarized when they are not there (35%) and having their car stolen or broken into (34%).
Less than a third (30%) of parents lose sleep because they frequently or sometimes worry about their children being physically hurt at school.
Finally, 24% of Americans are anxious that they can get mugged, while 17% of individuals report that they worry about getting murdered.
How to protect yourself from cybercrime
If you want to begin a safe and secure journey online, start using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your browsing traffic, protecting your data from third parties such as hackers, the government, or even your own ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Moreover, your IP address is hidden and changed, spoofing your location and, in turn, making you appear completely anonymous online.
The great news is — you can get Atlas VPN for free! Our main mission is to protect those who lack the funds, as some VPN services can cost hundreds of dollars per year. We offer a free Virtual Private Network service at no cost. Click here, hover over the “VPN apps” menu section and download Atlas VPN on your device.
For those who want a wider selection of locations, we also have a premium subscription that is also a budget option compared to other VPNs. You can find more details about the benefits of a VPN by checking out our blogpost on “VPN online: top 3 use cases”.
Regarding identity theft, make sure that you protect your Social Security Number (SSN) at all times. Meaning, do not carry it with yourself all the time, only when necessary. Also, do not give out your SSN when it is not necessary.
Moreover, try to limit the amount of information you share with companies that you do business with. If possible, use throw-away emails and enable 2-Factor authentication (2-FA) on your emails and other accounts that offer this security feature.
Finally, closely monitor your credit card and bank account statements. If you see any unauthorized purchases, contact your bank to investigate the issue further.
