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- The findings reveal a growing perception of risk and fear regarding digital attacks. Although 46% state that they or someone in their close circle has been a victim of cyber fraud, barely 1 in 6 claims to know how to protect their mobile phone. This knowledge gap widens among older adults, 42% of whom feel little to not at all protected against these crimes.
Santiago, October 2026 — In observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, WOM released the findings of its study “Connected Country: How Much Do We Use Apps?” (País Conectado: ¿Cuánto usamos las apps?), conducted in partnership with Cadem. The nationwide study examined the digital habits of men and women aged 18 to 80 through a cybersecurity lens. This edition revealed the extent of individuals’ exposure to fraud attempts, their knowledge of self-protection, and the everyday security measures they apply.
Eighty-four percent (84%) of respondents reported receiving a message containing a suspicious link via SMS, email, or social media over the past month. The most common channels were text messages from unknown numbers (82%) and email (44%). Furthermore, 46% indicated that they or someone close to them had fallen victim to a cyberattack or digital fraud in the past year, with 13% reporting having been direct victims.
Do We Know How to Protect Ourselves?
This exposure contrasts sharply with a significant gap in knowledge and defense. While 84% of total respondents express being somewhat or very concerned about unauthorized access to their personal data, and 76% fear suffering a cyberattack or hack, only 16% state they thoroughly know how to protect their personal data on their mobile phone and actively apply those measures.
Regarding concrete digital self-protection habits, the study reveals that users primarily adopt basic precautions: 80% use a password, PIN, or biometric lock (fingerprint) to unlock their phone. However, fewer than half employ more advanced security practices. Only 48% avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, 43% enable two-factor authentication (2FA), 41% review app permissions, 30% perform regular backups, and a mere 18% have an antivirus or mobile security application installed.
Older Adults Feel Unprotected
According to the study, 77% of adults aged 61 to 80 reported feeling confident or very confident when making payments or wire transfers via mobile apps—surpassing the national average (74%), as well as younger demographics aged 18 to 29 (72%) and 30 to 45 (70%).
However, this high confidence sharply contrasts with their perceived defense against cyber fraud: 42% of older adults feel little to not at all protected against such scams, representing the highest percentage across all age brackets.
The risk exposure profile for this demographic also differs notably from younger generations. Over the past month, 85% of older adults reported receiving SMS messages from unknown numbers, outpacing the 18-to-29 age bracket (79%). Additionally, they display heightened vulnerability across other channels: 53% have received suspicious emails (compared to the 44% national average), and 42% have been targeted by questionable messages on WhatsApp or social media—nearly double the general average of 24%.
