According to research released from an email software company, Mailjet, seven in ten of us do not see emails as a threat to computer security, suggesting Brits are still misunderstanding the fundamentals of computer safety.
The research found that over two thirds (69 per cent) of us did not know simply opening an email could expose a computer to cyber-attack. What’s more, almost half of us (49 per cent) admitted to opening an email at work that was personal or non-work related.
When it comes to email content, it seems many Brits abandon their basic understanding of email safety when it comes to risky or popular culture. Almost two in ten (18 per cent) of us would open an email with a swear word in the subject line, while one in ten (10 per cent) of us have admitted to opening an email that explicitly mentions containing nudity – suggesting many of us are not put off by adult content. Indeed, almost two in ten (19 per cent) of us admitted to knowingly opening an email that contains images of a beautiful woman or man.
The research also revealed a preference for celebrity culture – perhaps unsurprisingly, more of us admitted to risking professionalism and opening an email containing the subject line “Kim Kardashian as you’ve never seen her before!”, as opposed to our latest Royal, Kate Middleton. Whilst only 4 per cent of us said we would download email attachments of the British future Queen, over 5 per cent of us admitted to opening emails with Kim Kardashian content, despite being in the workplace.
Amir Jirbandey, Inbound Marketing Lead at Mailjet says: “It may sound simple, but the general lack of education surrounding emails is one of the biggest threats to cyber security. The Sony attack last year emphasised just how dangerous email hacking can be and highlighted to organisations that more advanced and specific attacks are likely going to be used to target weaknesses in IT infrastructure. The fact that almost 70 per cent of us do not see emails as a threat to computer security is staggering, and what this research has emphasised is the need for both consumers and businesses to sit up and understand the need to prioritise basic email safety.”
