BERLIN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Some 41 percent of internet users in Germany have fallen victim to cyber criminality at least once in their life, an official survey revealed on Monday.
The representative survey was published on Monday by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Police Crime Protection of the States and Federal Government (ProPK).
According to the survey, every fifth internet user in Germany has already been affected by "mal-" or "spyware" such as a virus and or Trojans software. Eight percent of respondents had suffered from fraud in online shopping, while six percent were victims of Phising and five percent were victims of identity theft.
So-called "ransomware" blackmailing software and cyber-mobbing had also afflicted four and three percent of those polled respectively.
Nevertheless, more than half of those affected by cyber-crime indicated that they had resolved the issues themselves, while 24 percent turned to friends and family for help. Only 19 percent informed the police.
"If you become a victim of cyber criminality, report the offence to the police," ProPK director Gerhard Klotter urged in light of the finding. The police often relied on observations from the public in order to be able to successfully prosecute cyber criminals.
The survey further suggested that internet users in Germany were most concerned about their e-security when it came to issues such as online banking (71 percent) and online shopping (45 percent).
By contrast, security concerns were hardly on respondents' minds when they used social networks (11 percent), cloud-computing services (eight percent) or networked household appliances, also known as the "the internet of things" (four percent).
Security experts have repeatedly warned that the latter in particular could pose a threat if hijacked successfully, for example by enabling burglars to access houses by hacking electronic locks.
"Safe behavior online must become as natural as it is in traffic," BSI president Arne Schoenbohm consequently warned.
Whereas 66 percent of respondents employed anti-virus software, less than half thereof (45 percent) said they ensured that the internet connection they used was secure.
The survey was published by BSI and ProPRK to coincide with the upcoming "Safer Internet Day" in Germany on Tuesday as part of a wider national initiative to raise awareness of related threats.