Cyber attack is likely to cost the average home user $418 in multimedia files, said Kaspersky Lab.
Many of these losses could be prevented, but after users purchase digital content they often fail to take appropriate steps to ensure that content is secure, said Kaspersky Lab in a statement.
Users can lose files in a number of different ways: losing a device, having a device stolen, or falling victim to malicious users.
According to the B2B International survey, 27 percent of respondents encountered a cyber attack in the last one year. At the same time, over 60 percent of users who were victims of malware that either damaged or destroyed data admitted that they had not been able to fully restore their files. During the same period, approximately 14 percent of users dealt with the loss, theft or crash of their device.
Respondents in the 16-24 age group would face an average loss of $670, while those in the 25-34 group would incur an average loss of $455; users aged 45 and older would lose an average of $227.
Residents of China and Russia were likely to incur the highest average losses at $816 and $807 per user, respectively. This figure is considerably lower in Europe ($378) and North America ($342).
In order to protect digital assets, users not only need to back up their data on a regular basis – they also need to secure their personal devices against malicious attacks designed to steal or extort data. Smartphones and tablets should also have additional tools to help locate a lost device or to mitigate the potential damages of device theft.