Google is coming to London!

Google workshop to teach London’s Internet users how to be more secure online

- Google security experts to host free workshop and consultations for anyone who signs up

- New Google data reveals a third (33%) of people in the capital have been a victim of hacking or targeted by hackers in the last two years

- London residents search for “Identify fraud” and “Identify theft” on Google far more than the national average

-Google will host workshop on the 18th September as part of a countrywide roadshow during the summer

LONDON, 8th September 2015: Google is hosting a free workshop in London next week as part of a countrywide roadshow to inform and train the public on how to be safer and more secure online. Following new Google search insights that indicate the public are concerned about how to secure their data online, the company will host a one-off training seminar on 18th September at Google’s London HQ. Registration for the event is open online here.

Google search insights have revealed the capital’s Internet users are amongst the most frequent searchers of security related questions in the UK. A survey of 500 people* in London found a third (33%) have had online services they use, such as an email account or online bank account, hacked or targeted by hackers in the last two years. The survey also revealed:

• Almost a quarter, 24%, surveyed said personal information, such as password(s), bank details, or emails, had been taken by hackers and used without their permission or used to pretend to be them in the past
• Over a quarter of people, 26%, either have or are unsure if they have given information to a website that seemed genuine but was not (such as imitation banking sites or phishing sites that looked very similar to the original). 35% reported they are regularly worried about keying their password into a website when online

London was selected to host a workshop following the release of new Google search insights that highlight the high amount of people in the city searching security related topics or questions. People in London Google “Am I being hacked?” and “My email has been hacked” far more than the national average, according to Google’s trend analysis. “Identify theft”, “Identify fraud”, and “Password scams report” are also searched disproportionately high in London compared to the national average.

Top searches around online security in the UK:
1. How secure is my password?
2. How do I change my gmail password?
3. How to find my phone
4. What is e safety?
5. How do I stay safe online
6. What is 2-step verification?
7. How does find my phone work?
8. What is the best internet security?
9. How do I enable 2-step verification?
10. How do I stay safe from online fraud?

Searches for some security questions have increased dramatically, according to Google data. The largest increases over the last few years have been:

• “Email been hacked” - up by over 5,000%
• “Phished account” - up by over 5,000%
• “Website scam check” - up by over 700%
• “Change my password” - up by over 300%
• “Identity theft protection” - up by over 250%
• “Find my phone”, “Find my lost phone” and “lost my phone” – all up by over 5,000%

Laurian Clemence from Google UK, said “This is the first time we’ve ever done anything like this, knowing so many people in London are searching for “Identify fraud” and “Identify theft” shows there is a clear demand for information on how to stay safe online. Our workshop will cover best practices directly from Google’s privacy and security experts on how they can safeguard their passwords, update their account settings, find a stolen device, and check where they are sharing their data in just two minutes, from one place. Anyone can sign up, starting today.”

Attendees at the London event will be able to book a one-to-one private consultation with a Google Security Ambassador, while also getting best practice tips on how to keep their personal data safe and secure from a Google’s security expert.

Sign up for the event in London is open online here. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask Google any of the pressing questions they’ve always wanted to ask, as set out on the new Privacy page.