Brits are willing to compromise their online security to get fit for the beach

With the approach of summer, many people are looking for diet and fitness solutions to get themselves ready for the beach.

But research into the practices of 1,000 British internet users by Intel Security finds a willingness to compromise online security to achieve a dream body.

Among the findings are that 34 percent are willing to sacrifice online safety to get a flat stomach, clicking on potentially malicious websites offering to help 'lose belly fat' specifically. Promotional sites offering to help with weight loss are the number one site Brits admit they would click on to help achieve their goals. This is followed by 'cashback' and 'get-rich-quick' offers.

What's more worrying is that after clicking through to a promotional site, more than half (58 percent) either assume the site is genuine or wouldn't know whether it was. Two-thirds of Brits would also be willing to share personal information with a website, service or company in order to reach their dream body.

A quarter of respondents admit to purchasing a service or product from a promotional link without knowing whether or not it's a secure site. In fact, only 65 percent of Brits actually know how to check if a website is secure.

Another interesting fact that emerges is that 61 percent of men click on dieting adverts compared to 52 percent of women, demonstrating that both sexes could be vulnerable to malware that is lurking behind many dieting ads.

"Diet and fitness is probably the last thing one would associate with cybercriminal activity," says vice president of consumer at Intel Security, Nick Viney. "Yet the reality is that cybercriminals are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to understanding the consumer mind-set and with, their online search habits. As such it is increasingly important people understand safe online searching behavior and how to identify potentially risky sites and emails".

More information on the risks and how to avoid them is available on the company's blog.

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