The Internet of Things (IoT). It’s something we hear about more and more every day. From smart watches to smart TVs to smart cars: every day we hear more and more about how people are taking devices and connecting them to the Internet and how that will be for our benefit.
But what do people who might buy and use these devices really think about security and privacy around these devices? Do they think they can protect their information adequately? Do they think that the trade-offs between convenience and security and privacy are really worth it? Do they view their personal information as something of value that they can trade and sell? And if so, what would they sell their information for?
These are questions that we’ve asked here at Trend Micro and we’ve teamed up with the Ponemon Institute to get answers. The result of this partnership is our new study that we’re releasing today: “Privacy and Security in a Connected Life: A Study of US, European and Japanese Consumers.” This is a global survey of more than 1,900 users in the United States, Europe and Japan that tries to understand how people really feel about security and privacy in regards to IoT devices.
This is a wide-ranging study with numerous unprecedented insights into real people’s points of view regarding security and privacy and the Internet of Things. Among the insights in this report:
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This last point is important because another thing that our survey shows is that respondents can see the value proposition around their personal information and could be enticed to make a value-based sale of their information to the right buyer for the right price. Sixty-one percent of respondents understand that personal information is valuable and that 53 percent of respondents view it as a saleable asset similar to traded good and commodities. Our report delves into this last question in depth by asking respondents to place a value on their personal information for possible sale. The report includes an extensive price list of personal data and we’ve also developed an infographic that shows these prices. Among the most notable findings, respondents on average considered $76 a fair price for their passwords, $60 for their health condition and, shockingly, $56 for their social security numbers. An infographic highlighting prices more broadly is also available.
We will be talking about more of the findings in this report on this blog throughout the year. For now, check out the report and the infographic here: http://www.trendmicro.com/us/security-intelligence/research-and-analysis/internet-of-things-connected-life-security/index.html
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