JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, January 28/APO Group: Kaspersky’s latest global research has revealed that most people in their current environment interact with family members digitally. At a glance, 86 percent of respondents expressed about communicating with family via messaging apps, 58 percent have regular video calls, and 44 percent have even established joint streaming service accounts.
In South Africa, the statistics showed a similar trend with 91 percent communicating with family via messaging apps, 68 percent through regular video calls, and 53 percent have joint streaming service accounts.
While digitalisation offers unprecedented convenience and flexibility in family communication, Kaspersky experts warn that this increased online connectivity demands a heightened awareness of digital safety practices and the protection of devices.
Kaspersky’s survey aims to reveal the common patterns of modern family life in the digital age and discover the cybersecurity challenges that lurk beneath our screen interactions.
Cyber safety during family communication
According to the survey, regular messaging via WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Viber, and other messenger apps were top of users’ choices when communicating with their families with people in the 35-54 age group at 89 percent globally, while video calls stood at 58 percent.
Another popular way of staying connected online for many families is exchanging posts and memes on social media and messengers, with 53 percent globally and 51 percent in South Africa, in the 18-34 age group globally leading this trend with a 58 percent participation rate.
The older generation (above 55 years old) is, in general, less digitally engaged than other age groups, though the share of those globally who chat with their families in messengers is on par with the average 85 percent.
Some 42 percent of this age group exchange memes and posts via social media. Despite the fact that older people are more active in the digital sphere, they are exposed to cyber threats and scams. Thus, calling a need for users to educate elderly relatives on ways to stay online and the usage of gadgets in a secure manner.
Even for advanced users, communication online carries potential cybersecurity risks. From phishing attempts disguised as legitimate messages to sophisticated social engineering attacks, the digital battlefield operates within our most personal communication channels.
Family accounts – convenience or risk?
The survey also throws interesting insights, where 70 percent of all participating families choose to watch movies together, with 44 percent having family streaming accounts. While in South Africa, 78 percent of families choose to watch movies together, 53 percent have family streaming accounts, and 35 percent opt for online games.
“As our family life moves more and more online, it opens up amazing ways to stay close and create memories – but it also brings new risks, like scams and hacking. Kids and older relatives can be especially at risk, so looking out for each other online is really important. Protecting your digital privacy and using cybersecurity measures is an important way to care for your loved ones and keep your family safe”, commented the Vice President for Consumer Business at Kaspersky, Marina Titova.
