69% of Americans surveyed believe they could
be vulnerable to cybercrime; award-winning psychologist
Lee Chambers explains what stops
people from acting
TEMPE,
Ariz. and PRAGUE,
July 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global
leader dedicated to powering Digital Freedom, has launched Scam
Artists, an educational campaign using art to visually demonstrate
the emotional impact of cybercrime. In collaboration with
award-winning psychologist Lee
Chambers, the campaign shines a light on the inherent human
instincts that often result in complacent behavior when it comes to
digital safety. This campaign aims to help people recognize the
need to be proactive about online protection to maintain control,
confidence and freedom in the digital world.
To showcase cybercrime's impact, three victims of scams and
identity theft were equipped with Electroencephalography (EEG)
headsets to monitor their brain reactions to their experiences.
They were prompted to recall their emotional states before, during
and after the attacks, with the final session occurring after
introductions to cyber protection. The headsets recorded how the
brain reacted to each state and transformed the data into creative
visuals.
The artwork included shows Lynn's emotional reactions to the
prompts. State one indicates relaxation, state two shows links with
anxious thinking and stress after recalling the incident, and state
three suggests a return to relaxation and psychological wellbeing
when presented with solutions for Cyber Safety.
"Experiencing a cyberattack is traumatic and will cause a
negative emotional response," said Lee
Chambers, psychologist and wellbeing expert. "When the
victims were asked to recall their experiences of cybercrime, the
resulting artwork showed an eruption of brain activity that is
often associated with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty – feelings
that can be long-lasting and have a significant life impact. Often,
when we think we have control, or perceive an event as unlikely, it
can encourage excessive optimism and an inadequate assessment of
risk, a trait known as optimism bias. As cybercrime increases, it's
important to recognize these tendencies, assess situations from all
angles, and take the necessary steps to alleviate the threat."
As part of the campaign, new research was conducted to uncover
people's feelings toward cyberthreats and cyber protection. Over
two thirds (69%) of American's surveyed believe they could be
vulnerable to cybercrime, and of the respondents who have suffered
cyberattacks, anger (56%) and stress (51%) were the top two
emotions felt. The research also revealed that only half (52%) have
some form of cybersecurity solution, and nearly two-thirds (63%)
agreed that understanding optimism bias will make them more likely
to consider cybersecurity measures to protect themselves.
"Cyberthreats today are bigger, more widespread, and more
sophisticated than ever before, and they are here to stay," said
Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer
at Gen. "In fact, last year Gen blocked more than 14 billion
attacks. We're focused on helping people to feel confident engaging
with the digital world with solutions that help protect against
evolving and emerging threats. Our mission is to provide peace of
mind. This campaign brings to life the harmful effects of
cybercrime but also the positive impact on wellbeing that proper
online protection provides."
To learn more about the Scam Artists campaign and view all the
artwork, visit GenDigital.com. For more background on the victim
stories and how Gen helps protect people from the impact of scams
and identity theft through its family of consumer brands including
Norton, Avast and LifeLock, visit the links below:
- Moya Crockett, scam victim
- Kyle Frank, small business scam
victim
- Lynn Beattie, identity theft
victim
About Gen
Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company
dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted Cyber
Safety brands, Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG,
ReputationDefender and CCleaner. The Gen family of consumer brands
is rooted in providing safety for the first digital generations.
Now, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely,
privately, and confidently today and for generations to come. Gen
brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online
privacy and identity protection to nearly 500 million users in more
than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com.
About the Scam Artists Study
This research was
conducted within the United States
by Gen in March 2024 among 1,000
people.
Media Contact
Mike
Healey
Gen
Press@GenDigital.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gen-launches-scam-artists-to-highlight-emotional-toll-of-cybercrime-through-creative-artwork-302193069.html
SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.