Threat of cybercrime creating wary consumers

If data breaches and cybercrime have caused you to change your online behavior, welcome to the club.

Nationally, 74 percent of U.S. adults have done so, according to a University of Phoenix survey, as attacks on large retailers become more frequent. Experts, however, say measures such as changing passwords and safer browsing can only protect you so much.

“They have to understand that the solution is behavior-based more than anything else,” Wael Yousif, a cybersecurity expert who chairs Valencia College’s network engineering program. “Security is a way of living. If they are not being careful, not modifying their behavior, all the security tools in the world will not get the job done.”

It’s an awareness that has grown, Yousif said. But he warns consumers against developing a false sense of security.

In today’s connected world, where devices and everyday objects connected to the Internet can be just as vulnerable as computers, observers say there are so many potential entry points for a criminal that these measures are only the start.

According to a Harris Poll that surveyed 2,028 U.S. adults in September, 46 percent of people do not conduct financial transactions on shared computers.

In addition, 35 percent say they change their passwords more often, don’t use public Wi-Fi or don’t give out personal information online.

“We are glad there is an increased awareness but people have to know that security is layered,” Yousif said. “You have to be able to protect yourself on so many fronts. Technology is involved in every aspect of your life.”