Pinoys overestimate their digital hygiene – survey

Experts warn against password recycling

MANILA, Philippines — Are Filipinos overconfident about their digital hygiene? Despite an overwhelming majority of Filipinos rating their online habits as good, fewer than half actually practice measures to protect themselves against cybercrime, according to a survey commissioned by insurance technology firm bolttech.

The survey found that as many as 96 percent of Filipinos believe their digital hygiene is good enough to protect them against cybercrime.

However, when their digital habit is put to the test, less than half of the respondents practice what they preach, as many of them still reuse passwords.

Jemma dela Cruz, bolttech general manager for the Philippines, said the perception gap reveals a lack of discipline among Filipinos when transacting online. Filipinos know the risk, but they still fall for the same scams over and over again.

“What this shows is that the issue is no longer awareness – it’s our behavior. Consumers already know cyber risks exist, but protection today still depends too heavily on individuals making right decisions every time,” Dela Cruz said.

The survey said 93 percent of Filipinos have encountered a scam attempt – breaking the regional average of 89 percent – as cybercriminals tend to target the most gullible.

Worse, 57 percent said they have fallen victim to a cybercrime, above the Asia-Pacific average of 39 percent, while 58 percent expect someone in their household to be scammed, too.

The survey, conducted by Blackbox Research, also found many ways Filipinos fail in their digital hygiene.

For one, 70 percent said they use the same password across several platforms, from banking and e-wallet, to social media. Dela Cruz warned against reusing passwords, as it raises the likelihood of data breach across multiple accounts.

Regionally, the survey also observed a disparity in the way Asians handle their digital activities. Southeast Asians like Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais and Vietnamese reported higher exposure to cybercrimes than their East Asians counterparts such as Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

Blackbox Research founder and CEO David Black said public and private sectors have to work together in bridging the knowledge gap on how to protect digital accounts.

The survey, titled Asia-Pacific Cyber Safety Landscape 2026, gathered insights from more than 3,850 individuals across 11 economies in Asia and the Pacific, with each market represented by 350 people.