81 per cent of Canadians fear for their personal information if government is hacked

This includes concerns about the security of private information, with 81 per cent of Canadians expressing concern about the security of their personal information held by a government department in the event of a cyberattack.

Also included in Canada’s Internet Factbook are statistics about the amount of time Canadians spend online, their awareness of cybersecurity threats, experiences with online harassment and more.

Key Facts:

• 74 per cent of Canadians spend at least three to four hours online per day
• 52 per cent of Canadians have five or more internet-connected devices in their home
• The use of a mobile device to make an online purchase increased to 40 per cent from 12 per cent in 2014
• 77 per cent of Canadians are concerned about cyberattacks against organizations that may have access to their personal information
• 78 per cent of Canadians say they often or sometimes come across fake news online; only 20 per cent say they are very confident they know how to identify it
• 27 per cent of Canadians who use Facebook and Twitter indicate they don’t feel safe from cyberbullying on these platforms, and more women than men have been reluctant to participate in social media/online discussions because of online harassment

“Over three quarters of Canadians are concerned about cyberattacks against organizations that may have access to their personal information,” said Byron Holland, president and CEO, CIRA. “As more services become web-based, organizations have a growing responsibility to secure their systems from cyber threats and protect the personal information of Canadians. This makes understanding Canada’s internet, how Canadians use it and how it can be improved, all the more important.”