14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft's third annual Computing Safer Index (MCSI) study has revealed that no less than 20 percent of the Indians are falling victims to phishing attacks, with identity theft becoming a common practice in the country.
The company said that 12 percent of the netizens in India suffered identity theft in the last 12 months, with figures very likely to grow, as the overall damages are now worth $5 billion (3.6 billion euros) globally.
"Annual worldwide impact of phishing and various forms of identity theft could be as high as $5 billion, with the cost of repairing damage to peoples' online reputation higher yet at nearly $6 billion or an estimated average of $632 (Rs 39,000) per loss," the report reads.
Unsurprisingly, Indian users do not care so much about the security of their devices, and only 35 percent of those who participated to Microsoft's study admitted to using a PIN or password to protect their mobile gadgets.
"Internet users can prevent intrusions and thefts by using a unique four-digit PIN for mobile devices and strong passwords for online accounts," Microsoft India National Technology Officer Prakash Kumar said.