Americans are more concerned about cybersecurity as they order more goods and services online amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.
A survey released Thursday by Touchdown Strategies and TechnoMetrica indicates Americans are worried about cyberthreats and attacks, especially when it comes to the upcoming election.
Survey results show:
- 46% of Americans say cybersecurity has worsened in the U.S. over the past year.
- 21% of Americans say cybersecurity has gotten better over the past year.
- 26% of Americans say their personal information was stolen or compromised by hackers in the previous year.
- 12% of people who were hacked say their debit or credit card information was stolen, which was reported as the most common type of information stolen.
- 48% of Americans say they are not confident that elections are safe from cyberattacks.
“Challenges in cybersecurity today are extremely complicated, unprecedented, and dangerous, especially during COVID-19 and the 2020 U.S. elections,” said cybersecurity expert and Touchdown Strategies’ senior adviser Mark Pfeifle. “Companies, institutions, and governments must quickly adapt to the rapidly evolving information landscape and the risks and potential rewards of today’s digital security world.”
Even though there is a rise in concern surrounding cybersecurity, many Americans say they still trust that institutions can protect their personal information.
According to the survey, 78% of Americans trust that financial institutions will keep their personal information safe. Americans are nearly as trusting in healthcare providers, with 77% saying they trust hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies with their information. More than half, 54%, say they trust retailers with their personal information.
Americans are less trusting of schools and universities. Only 46% of Americans say they are confident educational institutions will safeguard their personal data, according to the responses.
Thirty-six percent of Americans say companies are the ones primarily responsible for protecting customers’ information, but 48% believe the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect businesses from cyberattacks.
The survey polled 1,197 Americans between Aug. 29-Sept. 2. The margin of error is +/- 2.9 percentage points.
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