Canadians’ online behaviour carries high risk of cyber attacks

Cyber best practices

While the majority of Canadians practice at least some good cyber hygiene, less than half say they always use all of the recommended online safety behaviours. This includes keeping their software and operating systems updated (71%), using two-factor authentication/verification on online banking accounts (67%), enabling privacy and security settings on all devices (65%) and limiting who follows them on social media (63%).

Additionally, 30% always or often use virtual private networks (VPN) when surfing public Wi-Fi, while only 28% use password generators to create secure, random passwords for online accounts.

In order to avoid potential cyber fraud, RBC urges Canadians to never accept friend requests from people you don’t know, significantly limit what they share online to avoid scams such as spear-fishing and never log into online banking via email, text or social media links. Instead, the banking giant insists you only visit websites that begin with ‘https,’ and to always use the maximum password strength when creating or updating one – aim for at least 16 characters.

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Cyber risks and safety concerns

Even with an awareness of better cyber hygiene, 77% have knowingly or accidentally engaged in at least one risky online behaviour, with the most commonly reported being public Wi-Fi use (49%). Others include consenting to share their personal information when asked (27%), clicking on pop-up ads (19%), visiting unsecure websites (18%) and ignoring privacy settings on social media platforms (13%).

Furthermore, 35% of respondents admit they have used the same password(s) across multiple platforms, 32% expressed greater concern over missing out on exclusive events or activities rather than disclosing personal information online, while 31% have interacted with unsolicited texts or social media messages.

At the same time, the vast majority of Canadians say they are concerned about being victimized by online fraud (80%), identity theft (84%), corporate data breaches (79%), being hacked (84%) and experiencing unauthorized access to their online accounts (87%). This is in line with last year's results.

Meanwhile, a fewer percentage of Canadians feel safe engaging in social media activities (69%) — a 7% reduction compared to 2023.

Fortunately, a growing proportion of Canadians (85%) say they are comfortable learning new ways to protect their online information – 3% uptick from last year.

Survey methodology

The results are from an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of RBC. The survey was conducted in English and French. A sample of 1,894 Canadians over 18 was surveyed online via the Ipsos I-Say panel from May 3 to 7.