Security Featured Article

A national survey conducted by Heart + Mind Strategies for the National Cyber Security Alliance, referred to as NCSA , and the Anti Phishing working Group, referred to as APWG, was conducted as part of a public-private messaging convention to increase awareness of cyber- security related messaging for the general public.

According to the results released by NCSA, the majority of Americans felt that personal online actions contributed greatly to online safety. Almost 96 percent of those surveyed felt that exercising individual responsibility was an important factor for ensuring their personal online security, and 93 percent said that exercising individual responsibility was not only a key factor to ensure the safety of friends and family, but it also made the Web safer for everyone else.

Overall, Americans felt safest online when they took independent action to ensure their own security. Sixty-one percent believed that much of online safety and security fell under their personal control, and 90 percent said they want to learn more about keeping safer on the Internet.

Most Americans said that they lacked the knowledge to ensure their safety online, 12 percent said that online safety was expensive, and only five percent indicated that their busy schedules didn't give them time to go that extra step.

Almost 54 percent of Americans believed that losing of personal and financial information was a matter of great concern and this was almost on the same level as the percentage of Americans who were concerned about the loss of a job or the inability to provide healthcare.

The study recommended actionable resources and tips that were simple and easy to understand to help ensure safety and security online, as this would empower them to make more well informed decisions, even before they started surfing the Web.

For the purpose of the survey, 1,007 U.S. adults over 18 years were asked to fill up survey forms online. Conducted between May 21 – 25, 2010, the poll was part of an extensive analysis on online attitudes and behaviors.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who had volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. The data were targeted to reflect the demographic composition of the United States.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate.

The survey, conducted by Heart + Mind Strategies for NCSA and APWG, will inform the future work of the National Cyber- security Awareness Campaign. This is slated for launch in October 2010. The messaging convention, driven by NCSA and APWG, included companies from various sectors of industry and also included government departments.

Michael Kaiser, ED, NCSA, said that it was heartening to see that Americans felt the online safety was not only a personal responsibility, but also a global responsibility, in the same way that they viewed the environment. 

Peter Cassidy, Secretary General, APWG said that fear of identity theft, and losing personal and financial information continued to haunt many, and it was no wonder that Americans were taking steps to protect their online profiles and were keen on gaining information and knowledge to take control of their digital lives.

Jennifer Airey, Heart + Mind Strategies Partner said that the study had clearly revealed that Americans had a clear appetite for meaningful education and information on online security as this was the main reason that many of them had cited for not doing enough to stay safer online.

The National Cyber Security Alliance is a nonprofit organization. It works to create a culture of cyber security and safety through education and awareness activities.

The APWG, founded in 2003 as the Anti-Phishing Working Group, is a global industry, law enforcement, and government coalition focused on eliminating the identity theft and fraud. The Web site offers the public and industry information about phishing and e-mail fraud, including identification and promotion of pragmatic technical solutions that provide immediate protection.