In its study after examining business and social impacts of cyber security issues, GFI Software found that 47% of Britons claim to have been victims of at least one cyber crime in 2014 alone.
The study was conducted by Opinion Matters for GFI Software on 1,008 UK adults who are employed with companies having up to 5,000 staff.
It showcased that credit card fraud was the most common form of cyber crime, with 20% claiming to have been victims.
According to the survey, 41% of the surveyed individuals expect banks to be the prime target for cyber crime and 23% think that business institutions will be victimised in future. However, only 9% considered retailers as a major target for cyber attack.
Internet of Things was viewed as ‘too risky to own’ by 64% of the surveyed individuals, causing them to shy awayfrom buying next generation devices. 55% considered malware to be a real threat to business and individuals.
According to the survey, 88% of individuals believed that cyber attacks against employers would have severe financial and productivity impact.
GFI Software general manager Sergio Galindo said: "Usernames, passwords, credit card data, health records – malicious use of this data by criminals can quickly create financial hardship and significant stress for affected individuals, while the negative fallout for organisations the data was stolen from can range from loss of reputation to fines, falling sales, civil and criminal legal proceedings and more."
