'1 in 5 people share sensitive data digitally with strangers'

New Delhi: One in five people share "sensitive data" like passwords and personal information digitally with strangers, leaving themselves exposed to identity theft or financial attacks, a report by security solutions firm Kaspersky on Wednesday said.

Interestingly, young people are most likely to share private and sensitive photos of themselves with others, the report titled 'My Precious Data: Stranger Danger' said.

The security solutions firm found 93 per cent respondents admitting they shared their information digitally. About 70 per cent said they shared photos and videos of their children, while 45 per cent shared private and sensitive videos and photos of others.

People are not just sharing data, but also sharing devices that store their data.

In fact, one in 10 people said they have shared the PIN for accessing their device with a stranger, while 23 per cent have given their device to another person to use for some time.

"...By disclosing important and sensitive information with other people at the push of a button, you relinquish control over it, because you cannot be sure where that data is going, and how it will be used," Kaspersky Lab Head Consumer Business Andrei Mochola said.

About 61 per cent of those aged 16-24 years admitted to sharing personal information digitally, compared to just 38 per cent of those aged over 55s.

The pattern extended to financial information as well with 42 per cent of youngsters (16-24 year olds) saying they shared their financial and payment details with others.

The report surveyed 16,250 people from 17 countries.