IP Products

Cyber survey

by msecadm4921

Despite a series of high profile security breaches, increased government spending on cyber security and emerging threats to mobile devices, UK public concerns over computer security have dropped to a record low. Forty-one percent of UK respondents to the Unisys Security Index state they are not concerned about the threat of virus or unsolicited emails (spam) in relation to computer security.

 

 

The public’s apparent complacency is in stark contrast to the level of online threats. The latest European Commission statistics on security incidences experienced by internet users in the UK showed about 52 percent had received spam email, while around 28 percent had experienced a computer virus or other type of infection on their computers. 

 

The Unisys Security Index tracks consumer security concerns every six months and yields valuable insights into the security issues that matter to people today. Based on new research conducted in February 2012, UK consumer security concern has dropped from an all-time high of 154 points in February 2011, to an index score just 97, representing a less cautious outlook on security issues in the UK than they have over the last 11 surveys.The Unisys Security Index is measured on a scale of 0 to 300.

 

For the second year, the misuse of credit or debit card details and identity theft remain the greatest cause for concern amongst UK adults, with 45 percent and 42 percent of respondents stating serious concern about these threats, respectively. According to CIFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, over 236,500 individual cases of fraud were identified during 2011, an increase of over 100% from 102,500 reported cases in 2010. 

 

“The Unisys Security Index is very useful as it asks people to say how they feel about the risks of terrorism, economic well-being, pandemics and the London Olympics alongside the range of computer-related threats,” says Professor Peter Sommer, cyber security and computer forensics man and Visiting Professor at de Montfort University and the Open University. “It is dispiriting to see that too many business managers still seem more concerned about relatively exotic forms of cybercrime whilst neglecting the basics of computer security. In this digital age it is imperative that business, governments and the public take the necessary practical steps towards online protection and to get realistic balanced advice about the emerging threats.” 

 

Neil Fisher, vice president of Global Security Services at Unisys adds: “While it’s reassuring to see the UK Unisys Security Index reflect a renewed sense of optimism around security issues, it’s important that we don’t become complacent. We’re at a stage where we’re connected online at every point of our lives,and we need to take the right precautions to ensure our safety – regardless of whether we’re using devices like tablets, smartphones, laptops or even games consoles and TVs.”

  

Other findings 

 

The Unisys Security Index revealed that the proportion of respondents that are seriously concerned about meeting financial obligations has greatly diminished, to 21 percent in this year’s findings, compared to 46 percent in the 2011 survey.  And even in a year that has seen uprisings around the world and in a country set to stage one of the biggest global events, fears over national security threats such as war, terrorism and serious health epidemics continue to reduce significantly. In relation to war and terrorism, the percentage of respondents who were seriously concerned decreased significantly since the 2011 survey, from 49 percent to 31 percent. Respondents seriously concerned with the threat of a health epidemic hitting the UK has also dropped sharply since 2011, from 41 percent to 19 percent.  

 

The Unisys Security Index also suggested that the UK public is respecting their employer’s computer networks and data: 

 

·        Only 37 percent of respondents say they regularly access their network or email system remotely

 

·        An even smaller proportion (23pc) say they do NOT think about the security of the enterprise network 

 

·        14 percent say they can access files from other departments on the network that are not related to their job

 

·        A small proportion (7pc) say they would give their password to a colleague who needed to use their laptop or computer to access the network, or that they have given information about their employer to friends or associates outside the organisation. For more information, visit www.unisyssecurityindex.com 

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