Despite dropping points, Singaporeans still ranked tops in cybersecurity competency

In the annual National Privacy Test (NPT), Singaporeans ranked first in the world in terms of cybersecurity and Internet privacy knowledge.

This was a global survey aimed to evaluate and educate on cybersecurity, online privacy awareness, cyber threats, and the importance of data and information security in the digital age, with 25,567 responses from 181 countries this year.

Despite dropping two points (64 to 62) from the 2023 results, Singapore’s NPT score still remained first in the world in terms of our cybersecurity competency.

But that doesn’t’ mean everything is still rosy, because while we may be the first in our cybersecurity competency, the survey found that we know nothing about privacy issues when using AI for work, and fewer of us understand the security benefits of updating apps.

Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordVPN said:

As the digital threat landscape evolves faster than ever, it is important that Internet users understand the significance of safeguarding their personal information. Technological advancements might be overwhelming for some people, which may make them struggle to keep up. Convenience-driven online applications become more ingrained in our daily lives, and people often prioritise ease of use over privacy, unintentionally exposing themselves to risks.

Some key findings

Singaporeans excelled at dealing with suspicious streaming service offers (93%) as well as creating strong passwords (99%) but struggled to identify the privacy issues of using AI at work (7%). The results of the test showed that Singaporeans know which permissions should be granted to different apps (92%) and how devices might get infected with malware (94%), or which sensitive data to avoid sharing on social media (92%).

However, only 7% of Singaporeans are knowledgeable about what privacy issues to consider when using AI for work, and only 15% know what data ISPs collect as part of the metadata. Additionally, Singaporeans are mostly unaware (27%) of how to secure their home Wi-Fi network, most likely considering it safe by default. Finally, barely one third of Singaporeans (31%) know where to store passwords safely, for example, in tools like password managers.

Staying safe

While nobody can remain truly safe when online, there are initial moves you can make to reduce your risk:

• Create unique and strong passwords
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) at the very least
• Keep your software up to date
• Be aware of the possible threats and attacks

Briedis from NordVPN had a few more recommendations to stay safe when online:

• Review privacy settings. Regularly review and adjust privacy settings on social media platforms, mobile apps, and other online services.
• Educate yourself about cybersecurity. Continuous learning will empower you to make informed decisions about protecting your online presence.

You can also discover ways to enhance your online security by taking the National Privacy Test.

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