Kaspersky Survey: Smartphones Become Primary Internet Device, Yet Cybersecurity Remains Neglected
The shift in digital behaviour among people in the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, is increasingly evident. Based on the latest survey from cyber security firm Kaspersky, smartphones have now displaced PCs as the primary device for accessing the internet. However, this trend carries significant risk because the increase in the volume of sensitive data on phones is not matched by adequate security awareness.
Survey data shows that 72% of respondents in Asia Pacific use smartphones as their main gateway to the digital world. This figure is even higher in Indonesia, with 77% of respondents heavily dependent on their mobile devices for daily online activities.
Smartphones are no longer merely communication tools, but rather digital vaults storing a wide range of crucial information. From visual memories to state documents, nearly every aspect of life is stored in the palm of one’s hand.
Anton Kivva, a cyber security expert at Kaspersky, emphasised that phones now function as complete assistants.
“The main question is no longer ‘what do we store’, but ‘how do we protect it’. Security must become an integral part of the device, just like the data it carries,” he said.
Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, added that dependence on phones increases the impact of losses if the device is lost or hacked. According to him, protecting a phone today is the same as protecting the digital life carried in one’s pocket every day.
Unfortunately, many users still neglect cyber protection on phones compared to computers. In fact, threats such as phishing and malicious links continue to stalk mobile users in real time.
To navigate this digital reality, Kaspersky experts recommend three key security steps:
“Ask yourself: When was the last time I backed up my photos or notes? What should I do if my phone is lost? It is time to provide the same level of cyber protection to your daily digital companion,” concluded Anton Kivva.