Over half of the UK’s population would back the UK government and its allies in violating international cybersecurity laws under specific conditions. Furthermore, 45% would either support or personally engage in cybercriminal activities in certain scenarios. This data comes from a survey of 1,000 UK respondents conducted by Censuswide for the International Cyber Expo. The study revealed demographic variances; 26% of women stated they would never endorse the UK government breaking international cybersecurity laws, compared to 17% of men. Additionally, 40% of women would never support or partake in online cybercrime, versus 26% of men.
Of the participants, 53% would support the UK government breaking international cybersecurity laws to:
- Halt war crimes like civilian torture or killing during conflict (25%)
- Counteract a terrorist organization (24%)
- Prevent human rights abuses (21%)
- Combat organized crime (20%)
- Overthrow a dictatorship (16%)
- Expose international law breaches (16%)
- Bar illegal immigrants (15%)
- Reveal severe environmental damages (13%).
In April, the UK government unveiled details about its offensive cyber capabilities. The National Cyber Force, a collaboration between GCHQ and the Ministry of Defence, outlined its cyber operation principles, emphasizing the UK’s dedication to global stability.
Respondents who would support or engage in cybercriminal activities would do so to:
- Defend the UK against threats (12%)
- Punish environmentally harmful companies (10%)
- Rectify personal wrongs or protest human rights abuses (10% each)
- Retaliate against cybercriminals or prevent animal cruelty (9% each).
Simon Newman, CEO of the Cyber Resilience Centre for London, expressed concerns over the high percentage supporting law breaches, especially among the youth, emphasizing the dangers of vigilantism.
Source: Csoonline
To mitigate potential threats, it is important to implement additional cybersecurity measures with the help of a trusted partner like INFRA www.infrascan.net or you can try your self using check.website.