CybersecuritySmartphone users hold false sense of security

Published 5 January 2012

A recent study reveals that smartphone users maintain a false sense of cybersecurity

A recent study reveals that smartphone users maintain a false sense of cybersecurity.

The study, commissioned by the National Cybersecurity Alliance and McAfee, found that 72 percent of Americans have never installed data protection or security software on their smartphones, yet 70 percent of respondents said they feel their device is safe from hackers and malicious code.

In addition, 44 percent of smartphone users said they use their devices to access the Internet and 75 percent say they do so with greater frequency now than a year ago.

According to the study, consumers are mixed on avoiding downloading apps over safety concerns. 50 percent say they have passed on an app due to safety concerns, while 45 percent said they had not. Of those who chose not to download an app, 71 percent said it was out of uncertainty about what data the app would collect.

John Thode, McAfee’s executive vice president of its consumer, mobile and small business division, said the study indicates that smartphone users are not taking the necessary precautions to secure their devices because they feel they are already safe enough.

This study highlights the need to focus on the security of our mobile devices and networks as mobile technologies are adopted by an ever-increasing amount of the population and becoming a central part of our lives,” Thode said.