Many Brits were unable to spot scam websites

About two in three consumers (63%) were unable to correctly identify all warning signs from phishing websites, and many relied on outdated security information to protect themselves.

Phishing websites, often similar to those of real companies, are set up to trick victims into revealing personal and financial information such as passwords or credit card details.

The data was collected by NordVPN‘s National Privacy Test, a global survey assessing cybersecurity and online privacy awareness.

The UK still scores highly in global cyber security (Image: PA)

The results showed that although most people in the UK have basic services Online Safety However, they lack awareness of practices and tools that keep them safe while surfing.

Of the 175 countries that took the test, the UK came fifth with an average score of 62/100, just behind Germany and the US (63/100) and joint winners Singapore and Poland (64/100).

What Brits don’t notice about scam websites

In the NordVPN survey, 72% of Brits correctly identified that a websiteA digital certificate – or SSL – with the name of a random person or company on it would be a red flag.

Additionally, 81% highlighted poor images and text, and 86% highlighted a suspiciously named web address.

However, 22% admitted they were wary of a website There is no copyright symbol at the bottom of a page, although this does not affect security.

Additionally, 85% believe that a padlock icon in the address bar of a web browser indicates that they are using a trustworthy website.

However, this icon, which is set to be removed from Google Chrome later this year, only indicates a secure encrypted connection and is now common Scam websites.

According to NordVPN, Brits need to brush up on some aspects of internet security (Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/PA Images)

Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN, commented: “Despite their respectable placement in the test, these results should certainly be a cause for concern in the UK.

“As technology has advanced, cybercriminals have adapted their tactics, making it difficult for the average user to keep up. Additionally, there is a common misconception that cybersecurity is solely the responsibility of service providers

“Many Brits appear to be out of sync when it comes to their online security, relying on ‘old school knowledge’ and risk falling headlong into scams such as phishing websites.

“It is important that they realize that as the use of biometric identification increases, the value of a strong password is likely to decline over the next few years and they need to improve in other areas.”