21% of Cypriots complained of internet security breaches

Cyprus was well below the 32% EU average for people reporting security-related incidents about their privacy when using the internet in 2019.

In 2019, approximately 1 in 3 EU citizens aged 16 to 74 reported security-related incidents when using the internet for private purposes in the last 12 months.

For Cyprus (21%) the ratio was 1 in 4 reporting a complaint.

During this period – phishing was the most frequent security incident reported in 2019.

Some 25% of people in the EU reported that they received fraudulent messages, known as phishing.

Redirection to fake websites asking for personal information (pharming) was the second most frequent security incident reported (12% of people).

Receiving fraudulent messages (19%) was the most common complaint in Cyprus.

The share of people who experienced security-related problems when using the internet for private purposes varied across the EU Member States.

The highest rates were observed in Denmark (50%), followed by France (46%), Sweden (45%), Malta and the Netherlands (both 42%), Finland (41%) and Germany (40%).

In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Lithuania (7%), Poland (9%), Latvia (10%), Bulgaria (13%) and Greece (13%).