The State of Cyber-Stress

A Kaspersky Lab survey report - The State of Cyber-Stress - shows that 81 percent of Americans and 72 percent of Canadians admit to feeling stressed by the news of data breaches.

The Kaspersky Lab report found that consumers’ lack of awareness of how to protect themselves from online threats is leading to increased stress levels around technology usage and cybersecurity as a whole.

Kaspersky Lab conducted a survey of over 2,000 internet users in the United States and Canada to gain insight into the perceptions of consumers regarding cybersecurity, including people’s stress levels about data breaches and passwords, and what actions they take to protect their data from online threats. The results of this research revealed:

• The stress levels of consumers relating to digital security and technology
• How many people have experienced a cyberattack on their internet-connected devices
• How people feel about businesses or people close to them having access to their data
• What consumers and businesses can do to reduce their cyber-stress

“Research has shown that it's not the big, acute, one-time challenges that cause the majority of stress-related disease and disorder, but the everyday, nagging, accumulating pressure and tension we feel when we don't have enough capacity to cope with the demands of life,” explained Heidi Hanna, Ph.D., executive director of the American Institute of Stress. “Especially when we feel unsafe, out of control, or unable to keep up with the pace of change, something that is inherent in our constantly-connected, digital lifestyle.”