With the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) on the rise, it’s more important than ever to be discerning when we’re online. What we could once recognize as certifiably “artificial” is much trickier as these tools become increasingly better at mimicking the human experience. The topic of AI sentience has taken on a whole new meaning from when we first dreamed up “smart” computers.
And yet, as our technological landscape grows, our practices in securing our identity online have changed little. You might find it surprising, but the primary obstacle to our online identity is not AI—it’s us.
A five-year report by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, conducted over several countries from the years 2021-2025, reveals a number of interesting attitudes and behaviors that could contribute to our online safety. Here we’ll review some of their findings and how you can use this knowledge to bolster your online security.
- You have more accounts than you probably think.
The study reported that around 25% of survey participants noted having 2-4 online accounts that are attached to personal information in 2025, a sharp increase from the 18% reported only a year before. Though there’s a steady decrease year over year, the average percentage of people with 5-9 accounts remains high at 22%.
What might be most concerning, however, is the average 14% of respondents who aren’t sure and lost count of their accounts and the 9% in 2025 who simply don’t know.
What to do: How many do you have? Take a few minutes this week to inventory the number of online accounts you have that may possess sensitive data. You can check out the free resources at sites like DigitalFootprintCheck.com to see the scope of your digital identity. If you find that your account might have been breached, take note and change your password or close the account if you don’t use it.
- Staying secure is easier said than done.
We all know that staying secure online is important. We know that our passwords shouldn’t be copied from account to account, nor should they be something so easy as “Password123,” but practicing it is another story.
Optimism in online security is trending upward, which is a good sign. This means people are finding it easier and more achievable to stay safe online.
However, of those same groups of people, an average of 42.8% find the practice of online security “Frustrating” and 41.6% find it “Intimidating.”
What do to: If you fall in one of the groups that associate the priority of online security with feelings of frustration or intimidation, think about what prevents you from taking action. Are you concerned it will take too much effort or that it’s an uphill effort? Boosting your knowledge can increase your confidence, effectively minimizing the intimidation factor of cybersecurity.
- To boost your security, get a password manager to keep and generate alpha-numeric passcodes instead of relying on your memory.
- To tackle knowledge gaps, read small, digestible blog posts or articles on cybersecurity each week.
- To keep your data safer, delete old accounts and old payment information.
- Responsibility can be tricky.
Your perspective of responsibility can shift depending on where you are. At work, respondents increasingly put the onus of workplace security protections on their IT or security teams. That number rocketed when respondents were asked about cybersecurity in their personal lives: nearly 60% agreed that they are responsible for their online security.
These numbers show that we know we are in charge of our online identities. Your internet service provider (ISP), the app platforms and websites you visit, the government…all of these pale in comparison to the power of individual regulation.
What to do: Take ownership of your safety and security and do your part to avoid being the victim of phishing scams, data breaches, and more.
- Make sure your passwords or passphrases are strong and change them immediately if your account has been compromised.
- Don’t forward suspicious-looking emails. Report to your IT Department (if at work) or mark as phishing.
- Fact check your resources before you spread news! There’s a lot of misinformation and noise out there, so be discerning!
- In the workplace, make sure to report suspicious emails or activity to your IT department.
- You’re worried about being a victim.
Cybercrime is on the rise and 68% of report participants were worried about falling victim to an online crime (up 7% from 2024), while 41% felt certain they would eventually become a target. This increase in fears of being a cybercrime target aren’t without merit. Over 40% of those surveyed fell victim to cybercrime in 2025.
When broken down into categories, it’s easy to see that cybercrime more than doubled in 2024 and 2025. Online dating scams, identity theft, and phishing scams top the list and all three of these categories had astounding increases in the number of reported incidents.
What to do: When noting the amount of people concerned about victimization and the types of crimes on the rise, make sure you stay alert.
- Don’t give your personal information to anyone online.
- Don’t send money if you don’t know the person.
- Do perform a quick background check or ask for more information on someone you met online, especially if they are asking for something or want to meet in person
- Don’t click links from senders you do not recognize and don’t forward suspicious emails.
- You might know less than you think.
Annual compliance training in the workplace and changing your passwords regularly is a great start, but if you think you know everything there is to know about cybersecurity—think again.
While 16% of the survey’s respondents noted that they already “know enough” about cybersecurity, a strong number said that time was a barrier in learning more about cybersecurity (21%) and preparation wouldn’t likely change their status as a potential target of cybercrime (20%).
You wouldn’t settle for “good enough” on medical care or your investments, so don’t let your cyber know-how slip through the cracks. Technology changes and upgrades happen daily. Updates that used to occur every quarter now happen hourly.
What to do: You could take an insurance-mindset approach here. Insurance helps you plan for the unexpected. You may not need it or ever send in a claim, but it’s there. Think of your cybersecurity education in the same way. The more you know, the less likely you are to fall victim to cybercrime. It’s not to say that cybercrime is entirely unavoidable, but you can mitigate the “human element” risk factors with education and training. Take some free courses or watch these videos to brush up on your knowledge.
As AI continues to advance and criminals increasingly use it to defraud unsuspecting people, it’s important you do your part to stay vigilant. We encourage you to protect yourself against malicious actors by taking some small steps to bolster your knowledge and confidence. You can read the full report on the National Cybersecurity Alliance website, including more findings about our general attitudes toward cybersecurity, password maintenance, and more.
And don’t forget! Sharonview will never ask for your account credentials over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call from someone posing as Sharonview, simply hang up and call the number for our Member Experience Center.