80% of Spaniards store their sensitive data in digital format, according to Kaspersky

The 80 percent of Spanish users store sensitive datasuch as identity documents, financial information or health data, in digital formataccording to a report by Kaspersky.

The technology firm has analyzed how users store their personal information on the occasion of ‘World Backup Day’, which is celebrated this Tuesday, March 31, as a way to raise awareness about the importance of data security.

According to the analysis, carried out by the Kaspersky Market Research Center, 80 percent of Spanish users store sensitive data in digital format, a percentage increases among users aged 18 to 34 globally (90%), which reflects the level of digitalization of the youngest.

In the case of Spain, the 60 percent of users choose to store their files on computers or external hard driveshe 44 percent uses cloud services and the 13 percent trust your data to government digital services.

On the other hand, only the 18 percent of Spaniards trust exclusively in the physical format. Specifically, about 30 percent of users over 55 years of age have chosen it to save their information.

These data reflect a generation gap in the way of managing personal information, with older users more inclined towards physical formats compared to younger generations, who prioritize the digital environment.

SECURITY RISKS

Users opt for the electronic format to a greater extent, arguing that physical media, such as hard drives, can be lost or damaged. However, although they are more accessible, Cloud services can be vulnerable to unauthorized access.

Faced with these vulnerabilities, Kaspersky has recommended, first of all, develop a backup strategyas a backup routine, especially for sensitive or difficult to recover information.

For example, with the 3-2-1 strategy You should keep at least three copies of important data, store them on two different types of media, and have at least one copy off the main device. More sensitive data, such as passwords, ID documents or financial information, require additional protection.

Furthermore, the company has suggested protect stored data through the multi-factor authentication (MFA) or use technologies such as access keys (‘passkeys’)which can be saved with a password manager.

Lastly, he recommended the enable backup automation in services such as iCloud on Apple devices or Google Drive and OneDrive on Android and Windows systems, respectively, and also periodically check that they work correctly.

“The best strategy is to treat backups as another process: prioritize files according to their importance and automate copies of critical data. In this way, really important information is protected without adding unnecessary complexity,” said Marina Titova, Vice President of Consumer Affairs at Kaspersky.