6.5 million Belgians 'help' cybercriminals

The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) and the Cyber Security Coalition have launched a campaign to raise awareness about digital safety in light of the discovery that some 6.5 million Belgians unconsciously “help” cybercriminals by insufficiently protecting their computers, tablets and smartphones. The statistic comes from a study carried out by Ghent University (UGent).

The study shows that 68% of Belgian residents have user profiles that run larger than average risks of being affected by cybercrime. “We have to learn to also protect ourselves online,” Christine Darville, president of the Cyber Security Coalition, told VRT. “We lock the door at home, so why do we leave our computer, tablets and smartphones open to scrutiny?”

Users can protect devices with a good virus scanner, updating programmes and making back-ups, she said. It’s also important to be on your guard for suspicious e-mails sent to obtain private data.

A central part of the campaign is a website where you can analyse your internet behaviour and compare it with the average user. The website also provides info on how to scan your device for viruses and tips on how to improve security. “You can see it as a large clean-up of your computer, tablet or smartphone,” said Darville.