• TREND MICRO
  • ABOUT
Search:
  • Latest Posts
  • Categories
    • Android
    • AWS
    • Azure
    • Cloud
    • Compliance
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Cybercrime
    • Encryption
    • Financial Services
    • Government
    • Hacks
    • Healthcare
    • Internet of Everything
    • Malware
    • Microsoft
    • Mobile Security
    • Network
    • Privacy
    • Ransomware
    • Security
    • Social Media
    • Small Business
    • Targeted Attacks
    • Trend Spotlight
    • Virtualization
    • Vulnerabilities
    • Web Security
    • Zero Day Initiative
    • Industry News
  • Our Experts
    • Ed Cabrera
    • Rik Ferguson
    • Greg Young
    • Mark Nunnikhoven
    • Jon Clay
    • William “Bill” Malik
  • Research
Home   »   Consumer   »   What Do People Really Think About Security and Privacy in the Internet of Things?

What Do People Really Think About Security and Privacy in the Internet of Things?

  • Posted on:March 31, 2015
  • Posted in:Consumer, Internet of Everything, Security
  • Posted by:Christopher Budd (Global Threat Communications)
0

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:

  • Over the past five years there has been a DECLINE among respondents identifying themselves as “Privacy Centric” while a plurality of respondents also say they have become more concerned about the privacy and security of their personal information. Overall this shows a possible a sense of futility in trying to protect personal information.
  • This sense of possible futility is also reflected in respondents’ answers showing that 75 percent of respondents say they don’t believe they can control their personal information and 82 percent indicating they don’t feel they got enough information from manufacturers about how personal information will be used.
  • Perhaps unsurprisingly then a majority of respondents DO NOT believe the benefits of IoT outweigh their privacy concerns.

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

Please add your thoughts in the comments below or follow me on Twitter; @ChristopherBudd.

Related posts:

  1. Internet users’ privacy concerns fluctuate alongside new technology, Zuckerberg says
  2. Why US Consumers Are Concerned About the Internet of Things
  3. How Much Do We Value Security and Privacy on Social Media?
  4. Using Trend Micro Security’s Privacy Scanner – Part 1: Social Network Privacy

Security Intelligence Blog

  • Our New Blog
  • How Unsecure gRPC Implementations Can Compromise APIs, Applications
  • XCSSET Mac Malware: Infects Xcode Projects, Performs UXSS Attack on Safari, Other Browsers, Leverages Zero-day Exploits

Featured Authors

Ed Cabrera (Chief Cybersecurity Officer)
Ed Cabrera (Chief Cybersecurity Officer)
  • Ransomware is Still a Blight on Business
Greg Young (Vice President for Cybersecurity)
Greg Young (Vice President for Cybersecurity)
  • Not Just Good Security Products, But a Good Partner
Jon Clay (Global Threat Communications)
Jon Clay (Global Threat Communications)
  • This Week in Security News: Ransomware Gang is Raking in Tens of Millions of Dollars and Microsoft Patch Tuesday Update Fixes 17 Critical Bugs
Mark Nunnikhoven (Vice President, Cloud Research)
Mark Nunnikhoven (Vice President, Cloud Research)
  • Twitter Hacked in Bitcoin Scam
Rik Ferguson (VP, Security Research)
Rik Ferguson (VP, Security Research)
  • The Sky Has Already Fallen (you just haven’t seen the alert yet)
William
William "Bill" Malik (CISA VP Infrastructure Strategies)
  • Black Hat Trip Report – Trend Micro

Follow Us

Trend Micro In The News

  • Trend Micro Goes Global to Find Entrepreneurs Set to Unlock the Smart Connected World
  • Winners of Trend Micro Global Capture the Flag Demonstrate Excellence in Cybersecurity
  • Companies Leveraging AWS Well-Architected Reviews Now Benefit from Security Innovations from Trend Micro
  • Trend Micro Announces World's First Cloud-Native File Storage Security
  • Digital Transformation is Growing but May Be Insecure for Many
  • Home and Home Office
  • |
  • For Business
  • |
  • Security Intelligence
  • |
  • About Trend Micro
  • Asia Pacific Region (APAC): Australia / New Zealand, 中国, 日本, 대한민국, 台灣
  • Latin America Region (LAR): Brasil, México
  • North America Region (NABU): United States, Canada
  • Europe, Middle East, & Africa Region (EMEA): France, Deutschland / Österreich / Schweiz, Italia, Россия, España, United Kingdom / Ireland
  • Privacy Statement
  • Legal Policies
  • Copyright © 2017 Trend Micro Incorporated. All rights reserved.