SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As tomorrow marks the sixth annual Data Privacy Day, ADT (NYSE:ADT) and McAfee released the results of a survey that takes a look at the important parallels between personal and online security. When asked, 39% of respondents said they use technological devices to control their home security systems and 34% use smartphones to do so. Alongside our appetite for such advanced technologies, so grows our need for protection of the digital devices that control them. Data from this survey suggests that our digital and physical lives are now fully intersected.
As technological advances enable us to control products in the home from within or from afar, we will need to ensure that both our physical and digital selves are strongly protected. The purpose of Data Privacy Day (DPD) is to remind smartphone users, who do not use password protection to prevent unauthorized access, to take simple steps toward protecting their devices.
Commissioned by The Futures Company, the joint survey of over 1,000 consumers shows that more than 51% of respondents reported having their personal security compromised through both physical and online breaches. When asked to define “personal security,” about 77% of survey participants consider it to intertwine both physical and online security, providing further insight that our digital and physical lives have merged into one.
Leaving the Door Open to Security Risks
Device proliferation has made digital security increasingly important - critical even - as our identities and personal devices are more susceptible to security breaches. While 31% of respondents of the survey said their smartphone presented the most potential for security risk and 49% stated that their computers are more vulnerable, 41% still fear losing smartphones most in a public setting. Though this is the case, respondents did not seem too concerned with protecting them, and many are comfortable sharing their passwords with others. Two in three smartphone users (67%) and tablet users (65%) report that they protect their devices with a password, yet nearly half (49%) admitted to sharing their password with at least one other person, risking their personal security and all the data found on their device.
Since over 33% of people use their devices to control to their physical alarm systems, and more than half of them fail to secure their devices with basic protection like private passwords, it seems our need for awareness in security is great as the need for security itself.
Among those who have experienced a home break-in, 59% reported a computer or mobile device among stolen items – leaving their personal data in the hands of thieves. Reportedly, an estimated 1.6 million Americans have their smartphones stolen in 2012.1 This is especially important considering 30% of Android and Windows smartphone users and 50% of iPhone users don’t lock their mobile devices.
“In today’s always connected digital world, our entire lives are managed and are accessible across our devices,” said John Giamatteo, senior vice president and general manager of McAfee consumer business. “With the Internet of Things rapidly evolving, our partnership with ADT marks a critical advance in protecting consumers’ property and information in more ways than ever before.”
This survey further emphasizes the importance of the ADT and McAfee’s partnership, announced earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. In initial phase of the security collaboration, ADT will be bundling ADT Pulse®, a complete security and automation solution that uses mobile technology, with McAfee LiveSafe™, an award-winning data, identity, and digital device protection service. Together, the two services will provide an additional layer of protection for a customer’s home or business, accessible through any web-connected smartphone or tablet. The ADT and McAfee partnership will develop a cohesive platform where users can easily protect their digital and physical domains from a single and centralized, easy-to-use portal. Together, ADT Pulse and McAfee LiveSafe service will establish new security standards and best practices that protect homes, properties, data, and personal identities.
“We are constantly seeking ways to increase protection for our customers in an increasingly connected and complex world,” said Arthur Orduña, Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at ADT. “Partnering with McAfee adds another vital layer of security to our Pulse solution with McAfee LiveSafe service, and opens up innovation opportunities for our platforms and products.”
Quantitative Methodology
The Futures Company conducted a total of 1,228 online interviews in the U.S. among consumers ages 18-54 between December 4 – 15, 2013. Interviews were distributed evenly by age and gender. The sample was comprised of 18% Hispanic and 18% African American respondents and achieved geographic distribution according to the US census. The interviews were 15 minutes in length. All respondents were required to own a mobile device (smartphone and/or tablet). The total sample of 1,228 yields a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Additional source:
1 Consumer
Reports, June 2013
About ADT
The ADT Corporation (NYSE: ADT) is a leading provider of electronic security, interactive home and business automation and alarm monitoring services for residences and small businesses in the United States and Canada. ADT currently serves more than six million residential and small business customers, making it the largest company of its kind in both the United States and Canada. Its broad and pioneering set of products and services, including ADT Pulse interactive home and business solutions and home health services, meet a range of customer needs for today's active and increasingly mobile lifestyles. ADT employs approximately 17,000 people at more than 200 locations. More information is available at www.adt.com.
About McAfee
McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the Web more securely. Backed by its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security. McAfee is relentlessly focused on constantly finding new ways to keep our customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com
Note: McAfee, the McAfee logo, and McAfee LiveSafe are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc., or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. ©2011 McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.
