American Wants Better Cyber Security, Accenture Finds

More than three-quarters of U.S. citizens (79 percent) are concerned about the privacy and security of their personal digital data, and almost two-thirds (63 percent) say they would feel more confident if the government agencies and service providers with which they interact had stronger data-privacy and security policies, according to results of an Accenture (NYSE:ACN) survey of nearly 3,500 U.S. citizens.

The survey – in which nearly one-third (30 percent) of respondents said they had been a victim of cybercrime – found that three-quarters (74 percent) of citizens lack confidence in government’s ability to keep their data private and secure, and almost two-thirds (65 percent) lack confidence in the ability of law-enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes.

“This survey confirms that ‘cyber insecurity’ is pervasive, with citizens feeling concerned and vulnerable,” said Lalit Ahluwalia, who leads Accenture’s security work with state and local government clients in North America.

The research also found that two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) said they would be willing to sacrifice convenience for increased data security.

More than half (60 percent) support the improved security measure of answering additional login questions, and nearly half (47 percent) support the use of biometric technologies to verify identity and secure access.

Citizens also expressed support for new security services that agencies could adopt to enhance their data privacy and security measures. Respondents agreed that the availability of a secure digital identity (85 percent), the undertaking of regular security assessments (82 percent) and new cyber defense services (85 percent) would improve their confidence in the privacy and security of their data

The study identified cyber insecurity among citizens as being pervasive across all organizations with which they interact.

So, Americans want better cyber security – both from the companies they deal with and from the government.