A new study says Indiana ranks 34th in the nation for online privacy awareness, with people searching for tools like VPNs and ad blockers at a rate 11% below the national average.

The study found a geographic divide, as coastal tech hubs like Washington and New York lead the country while Southern states show the least interest in digital security.

Experts recommend using complex passwords and privacy software to combat this trend and protect personal data from increasingly sophisticated scammers.