A recent survey by cyber safety brand Norton reveals that 66% of Australians are increasingly concerned about identity theft due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The survey found that 63% of Australians worry their identity is vulnerable to cybercriminals. However, only 30% know how to tell if their personally identifiable information (PII) has been stolen or compromised, and a mere 40% know what to do if their PII has been compromised or stolen.

Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), 19% of respondents had been victims of misuse of their personal information at some point in their life. The Australian Bureau of Statistics further reports that 11% of people experienced one or more types of personal fraud in 2020-2021.

"As scammers continue to evolve in sophistication, it is more important than ever that Australians are aware of the cyber security measures they can practice to give themselves a first line of defense against scammers and prevent the devastating personal and financial damage that can come with identity theft," says Mark Gorrie, APAC Managing Director at Norton.

"We are seeing a growing trend towards identity crime, and we are seeing the horrible personal and financial consequences of this in the news every day," Gorrie adds. He further warns that with stolen personal information, a cybercriminal could open a credit card in your name, apply for financial services, run up debts, or even obtain a passport in your name. "It's important that Australians understand how they can stay one step ahead and prevent this from happening."

Gorrie also highlights the role of AI in escalating cyber threats. "As a tool, AI has created cyber-threats that are increasingly persuasive and can be extensively distributed. These widespread attacks can often lead to the compromise of personal data and increases the threat of ID theft in Australia."

Norton, a leader in Cyber Safety, is part of Gen(tm) (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. The company's mission is to equip Australians with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves against the growing threat of identity theft and cybercrime.