Youth and Online Complacency: A Timely Conversation

Every second of every day, there are a staggering 35 incidents of cybercrime in the world, targeting individuals, families and businesses. Despite a modest 10% rise in internet usage in the US over the past four years, reports of cybercrime have increased 128% during the same period, reaching eight million in 2022. Are young people as concerned as they should be?

In our rapidly digitizing world, the prevalence of cybercrime is significant and alarming—particularly for the young. For most of us, the reasons are surprising. Even so, recently released statistics clearly show that now is the time for a much-needed conversation with young people about the online world and their place in it. After all, it’s a discussion about our future. 

Most youth think that cybercrime is primarily a problem for the elderly. Not true. While teens are generally more tech-savvy than other demographics, the fact that we spend more time on electronic devices means we face more threats to our online safety. Today, 97% of teens say they use the internet daily. Reports show that because we are online so frequently, we tend to be less wary while engaging on the web; it also means we are presented with more opportunities to disclose our personal and financial information to the virtual world. Consequently, the number of individuals aged 20 or younger reporting they are victims of cyberfraud has surged 156% over the last three years, a rate even higher than the 112% growth among those over 60.

Both youth and adults fall prey to online scammers and schemes. Teens are perhaps most susceptible to threats on social media. In these virtual social worlds, confidence and romance scams are common. For example, a new contact—posing as a friend—might gain a user’s trust and, eventually, their funds. Another example of threats to young adults is “rental scams,” in which upfront deposits are requested for non-existent properties. In the workplace, adults become targets of tech support scams, investment cons, and business email schemes, in which scammers impersonate executives or businesses to obtain unauthorized access to information or funds. Data breaches, of course, remain the bane of both the young and the old.

While most teens don’t pay the bills for a household or a business, all young adults should have a basic understanding of the costs associated with living online. For business owners, the cost of protecting their investments and clients from breaches is staggering. According to AT&T, businesses spend between $1,300 to $3,000 per full-time employee on cybersecurity. Why so much? Because cybercrime continues to climb, as do business losses, which have risen 281% since 2018.

While it’s pretty obvious how cybercrime affects businesses, young people might not realize how this translates to us as consumers. The fact is that the high cost of protecting a business from cyberthreats will, ultimately, be reflected in the price of products and services. In short, we pay more for what we buy. To make matters worse, as online consumers, we must also protect ourselves, which might mean paying even more. Depending on the level of complexity desired, the cost of added online security can start at zero and go up to as much as $400 a year. That amount doubles with the addition of identity theft protection.

As young people interested in a safe online experience for everyone, we might ask: If internet protection was offered equally across all ages and income brackets, would everyone experience the same level of security? Unfortunately, no. Research shows that an individual’s social status can be a predictor of online safety. Who is at greater risk? According to the Malwarebytes Press Center, “disadvantaged groups facing barriers in society, such as those with lower incomes and lower education levels, feel less safe about their online experiences, are more likely to fall victim to an attack.” Interestingly, that group includes women and people of color.

The good news is that having more money is not the primary determiner of a safe online experience. A host of no-cost tools are available to those willing to do their research and install them. Two such examples are Microsoft’s anti-virus options for all devices and Proton’s encrypted email solution for the PC. For the teen, though, the key battleground for online safety is complacency. This battle is won by simply looking closely at the online habits that put us at risk—and then making changes.

A comparison of the online habits of two young adults may be helpful.

Let’s start with Trudy, a young professional trained in internet safety at her workplace. Her employer covers the cost of online security for her work PC, and she takes time to put additional protections on her personal devices, which also include biometric authentication. While online, she avoids questionable websites and can spot “phishing” emails designed to trick recipients into providing personal information. She never clicks on links that might expose her devices to malware or viruses. When she shops, Trudy uses a major credit card with high-level data protection and chooses stores committed to safe transactions.

A second example, Anna, is at higher risk of falling victim to cybercrime. Anna has never received internet safety training and is unaware of practices that would help her navigate the internet safely. At home, she lives with family members who share electronic devices. In this scenario, Anna has less control over her passwords and the internet practices of others. Neither her phone nor personal PC comes with built-in protections, and she doesn’t look into no-cost options that would give her family the added security it needs. When she shops, Anna goes to stores that offer low prices but less transaction and data security. Most of the time, she uses her debit card for purchases, which is far more vulnerable to breaches than a major credit card.

As shown by these examples, we can make choices that will better secure our online experience. Even so, there’s more to be done, and I believe that young people like myself must be the ones to do it. 

Why is it that cybercrime continues to increase? It’s because hackers have learned to adapt and change. We must do the same. In large part, safeguarding the internet will require younger generations to do what they do best: innovate. There is an immediate need for innovative tools, as well as for a greatly expanded cybersecurity workforce. In her article “Cybersecurity Statistics & Projections for 2023,” Madeleine Hodson reports “there is a cyber security professional shortage of around 72 million worldwide.” By pursuing a career in cybersecurity, young minds with new approaches can influence the future of our virtual landscape. Then, the next task is getting the word out about opportunities in this wide-open field.

What is the most efficient way to introduce the next generation to opportunities in cybersecurity? Many propose that this discussion starts in the classroom. As stated in an article appearing in Cybersecurity Insiders, "The only viable long-term solution to youth cybercrime and the skills shortage is to ensure that our education system gives all students (and their parents) the necessary skills, knowledge and awareness to feel included in, able to contribute to and benefit from the digital economy.”

Even with an influx of young people into the field of cybersecurity, the government must continually improve systems and provide programs that curtail internet crimes, protect citizens across all demographics, and offer recourse for losses due to breaches. The proposed bipartisan “Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act” might be a step in the right direction. Its stated goal is to “prevent online harm, promote free speech and competition, guard Americans’ privacy and protect national security.” At the same time, it seems wise to grow those federal agencies that investigate cyberattacks and punish perpetrators. Other considerations include the development of national awareness campaigns on how to avoid and report cybercrime, along with a curriculum to be used in schools. On the state level, legislators can pursue initiatives like the Michigan Cyber-Command Center (MC3), made up of professionals trained in emergency response to cyber incidents.

Cybercrime is real and requires our attention, resources, and imagination. These invasions span the broadest possible range of our lives, from bullying on social media to the stealing of information between nations. And while my peers and I may feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem, we must stay abreast of our fast-changing cyber landscape. By doing so, we can take control of our security now, understand how it affects people and our society over time or even step into cybersecurity as a career to impact the future. It’s timely advice for young people to “zoom out” to get the big picture of what we must do to live and work safely in our digitized world.