Many Internet users aren’t taking any action to protect themselves or their data despite most being aware that it’s a serious issue, security firm Avast Software s.r.o. has found.

The Avast Data Protection Survey Report, which polled more than 11,000 people globally on questions relating to security, found that even though 90 percent of surveyed global users believe the data stored in their online accounts is vulnerable, 45 percent use weak passwords and 80 percent store their passwords in insecure browsers that can be accessed by software installed on a computer.

Nearly half of the respondents said they were a victim of a data breach, or they are not sure if they have been affected by a data breach, but staggering 37 percent of users took no action when they were affected by a data breach, including some not even changing a password.  Out of those who said they changed their password on a website that was hacked, the majority did not change their password for other sites that required one.

“This is a problem, as cyber criminals often use credentials obtained from a data breach to gain access to other accounts, as many people use the same credentials for multiple accounts,” the report noted.

The survey also found that data breaches are more damaging than simply exposing user details. Almost 21 percent of respondents said they shut down their account after they found out about a data breach, and 16 percent claimed they never returned to the site that was affected.

In conclusion, the report states that the survey data shows that many people don’t trust that their data is secure online and that users should at the very least use complex passwords, always and everywhere, even for their smart TVs or thermostats.

The report notes that users should consider using a password manager such as — wait for it — Avast Passwords. But the LastPass hack and the subsequent exposure of even more security flaws proved that password managers may present their own security risks.

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