Privacy Awareness Week highlights personal security issues and risks of online social networkingAs more people connect online Unisys Security Index research shows almost 9 million Australians now extremely or very worried about misuse or unauthorised access to personal information
Sydney, 7 May 2009: Australia’s love affair with online social networking hasn’t eroded fears of identity-based crime according to research by Unisys, released as part of Privacy Awareness Week which runs 3-9 May 2009.
Unisys Security Index™ research undertaken by Newspoll shows millions of Australians hold high levels of concern about a range of identity security issues.
More Australians are now very or extremely or concerned about financial fraud – one of the most common identity related crimes – compared to December last year. Now an estimated 8.9 million Australians are very or extremely concerned about other people obtaining and/or using their credit card and debit card details, an estimated increase of more than 1 million people compared to last December.
Similarly, an estimated 8.8 million Australians are very or extremely concerned about misuse or unauthorised access to their personal information – up from an estimated 8.1 million in December 2009.
“While online social networking is becoming even more popular, concerns about identity based crimes are either growing or holding steady at high levels. With the theme of this year’s Privacy Awareness Week “Privacy – Where Do You Draw The Line?” – it is important to call attention to the potential identity risks involved in online social networking and what can be done about them,” said Unisys Security spokesperson, Jane Evans.
“Australians love social networking. Australia is now ranked 8th out of the Top 10 Facebook countries with almost 5.5 million users1 and networking phenomenon Twitter has recorded growth of 1067 percent in the year to April 20092.
“Meanwhile an estimated 83 percent of Australians say they are not comfortable providing personal information to social networking websites3, yet they may be doing so unwittingly.
“At the same time, fear of identity-based crime shows no signing of easing according to the latest Unisys Security Index research4 which recorded the following results:
“Social networking also brings challenges in the workplace as employers decide whether or not to allow access at work, and employees consider what information about their work they put on their blog, twitter or Facebook site. As a result organisations need to think about how to incorporate the best of such innovations while taking a unified approach to organisational security and the protection of information that they hold.
“At an individual level, there are some very simple steps that people can take to better protect themselves as they enjoy online social networking. These include:
“These are things we can all do,” Ms Evans said.
Footnotes
1 - Top 10 World Facebook Users by country April 2009 - http://www.nickburcher.com/2009/04/facebook-usage-statistics-by-population.html
About the Unisys Security Index
The Unisys Security Index provides a unique insight into the attitudes of Australians on a wide range of security related issues. Developed in conjunction with market research firm Newspoll the Unisys Security Index provides a regular, statistically robust measure gauging levels of concern about various aspects of security. The survey on which the latest Australian Unisys Security Index is based, was conducted nationally between 13 – 15 March 2009 by Newspoll using a nationally representative sample of 1,201 respondents aged 18 years and over. All results have been post-weighted to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The study measures consumer perceptions on a scale of zero to 300, with 300 representing the highest level of perceived concern. For more information on the Unisys Security Index including additional resource material visit: www.unisyssecurityindex.com.au
Unisys on Security
Organisations and governments today confront potential security threats that didn’t exist a decade ago. A nation's sense of security is an important indicator of political, economic and consumer forces and their interdependence. Security threats are global and their effects impact individuals on a daily basis. Unisys approach to security goes beyond ‘bits and bytes’ recognising that the most effective solutions are going to be those formed through collaboration across interests. For more information on Unisys security offerings visit: www.unisys.com.au/services/security/index.htm
About Unisys Asia Pacific
Unisys helps clients with solutions for their business operations by aligning technology with business strategy. Drawing on a history of industry innovation and expertise, Unisys provides specialised services, delivered by trusted consultants. In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand and through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With more than 28,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com .
Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
This is an opinion piece and is intended only to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive or to render advice. No reader should act on the basis of any matter contained in this piece without first obtaining specific professional advice
Contacts
Julian Brophy, Perception Partners, + 61 408 276 749
Claire Hosegood, Unisys, + 61 411 253 663
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