Nearly 60% of Online Learners Face Cyber Incidents, 25% of Victims Lose Money Kaspersky
Online Learning Security: Kaspersky warns of phishing, fake education platforms and financial losses affecting online learners.
Nearly 60% of people who pursued online or hybrid education experienced at least one digital security incident in the past year. Moreover, one in four affected learners suffered financial losses, according to research by cybersecurity company Kaspersky.
The survey found that 62% of respondents had participated in some form of education during the previous 12 months. Among them, 45% studied fully online, while 40% used a hybrid learning format.
The findings highlight growing cybersecurity risks as learners increasingly rely on digital platforms, educational applications and online communities.
Suspicious Links and Fake Education Platforms Top the Risks
Suspicious messages or links were the most common digital incidents, affecting 27% of respondents who experienced online or hybrid learning.
Fake applications or websites ranked second, affecting 20%. Meanwhile, 18% encountered scams through online communities or messaging groups.
Other reported incidents included:
- Fake courses or education providers: 17%
- Malware in educational files or applications: 16%
- Exposure of personal data: 16%
- Unrecognised certificates: 14%
- Account hacking: 10%
These incidents can disrupt studies and affect users beyond their learning activities. For example, malicious links, fraudulent courses and infected files can expose personal information, compromise accounts or damage devices.
Cyber Incidents Cause Financial and Personal Losses
The consequences extended beyond inconvenience for affected learners.
Among respondents who experienced a digital incident, 47% lost time dealing with the problem. In addition, 42% received unwanted advertising, while 34% lost trust in educational platforms.
Financial losses affected 25% of those who experienced an incident. This represents roughly one in seven of all learners surveyed.
PFPP’s Behtarqadam Programme Reaches 100,000 People Across Punjab
The findings underline the importance of protecting personal information, payment details and digital accounts used for online education.
Kaspersky Extends Protection to ARM-Based Windows PCs
As digital learning expands across desktops, laptops and tablets, learners increasingly use different types of devices. Interest in ARM-based Windows PCs for educational purposes is also growing.
In response, Kaspersky is expanding its security portfolio to support ARM-based Windows computers. These include devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X, Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite processors.
The company says this expansion will bring its AI-powered scam and malware protection to a wider range of platforms used for digital activities, including online learning.
Marina Titova, Vice President for Consumer Business at Kaspersky, said demand for online training courses and university programmes continues to grow.
She noted that rapid digitalisation and changing cyber threats make comprehensive digital protection increasingly important.
“Losing a thesis because ransomware blocks a computer, paying for a fake course or having an account compromised after clicking a malicious chat link are serious risks that anyone studying online can face,” Titova said.
She added that support for ARM-based devices would extend Kaspersky’s AI-powered scam protection to more platforms and help secure users’ online activities.
Kaspersky Recommends Basic Online Safety Measures
Kaspersky experts recommend using a different password for every learning platform and online service. They also advise users to create strong, unique passwords.
The company recommends its Password Generator to create passwords and Password Manager to store login credentials securely.
Furthermore, Kaspersky advises learners to use a trusted security solution, such as Kaspersky Premium, to help protect their devices against cyber threats.
The company says its consumer security products include AI-powered scam protection. This combines machine-learning-based anti-phishing technology with real-time behaviour monitoring.
Its security portfolio also includes data-leak and identity-theft checkers.
As online education continues to grow, the findings highlight the need for learners to adopt safer digital habits and protect the devices and accounts they use for study.
