The Cybersecurity Observatory report, from the National CyberSecurity Center (CNCS), shows an inverse trend when it comes to the concern with the improper use of personal data from online activities, with 54% of Portuguese respondents expressing themselves as concerned, against 46% of the European average.
Regarding fears of not delivering products or services purchased ‘online’, 20% of the Portuguese surveyed in 2019 expressed concern, against a European average of 22%.
According to the report, the gap between Portugal and the European average is most notorious in terms of the degree of information about the risks associated with cybercrime, with only 2% of Portuguese people considering themselves informed, while the European average is 11% .
The Portuguese who said they were well informed about the risks of cybercrime were mostly "men, young people and people with more education".
Regarding people's perception of the ability to protect themselves against cybercrime, the report notes that in 2019 of the Portuguese respondents 45% considered themselves capable of protecting themselves, against 52% of the European average.
The concern with the possibility of being a victim of cybercrime, namely identity theft, was recognized by 77% of Portuguese respondents, compared to 66% in the European average.
In Portugal, 18% of respondents stated that they were aware of the means by which to report cybercrime or other illegal online behaviour, compared to 22% of the European average, with the totality of this by Portuguese respondents referring to contact with the police.