85 percent of people won't pay ransoms to recover data

As we've seen in recent reports, ransomware is an increasingly big problem. But how much do people know about it and methods to protect themselves?

Security researchers at ESET surveyed over 3,000 people across the US and Canada to gauge their understanding of ransomware and unearthed some interesting findings.

One in three of those surveyed say they are unaware of what ransomware is. More worryingly younger people are less likely to understand the concept than older ones.

85 percent say they would prefer to lose their files rather than pay a ransom, while the remaining 15 percent would be willing to pay even though it may not result in the recovery of their files.

There's a lack of knowledge surrounding protection too, 60 percent of those surveyed didn't know if they were protected from ransomware or know if their security solution was guarding them against it. In addition 31 percent of respondents say they have never backed up their files.

You can find out more, including tips to protect yourself, on the ESET blog and there's a summary of the findings as an infographic below.

Photo credit: Fabio Alcini / Shutterstock