F-Secure’s Digital Lifestyle Survey 2013 reveals some interesting things

Jun 26, 2013 08:55 GMT  ·  By
F-Secure study shows that users were concerned about cloud security even before PRISM news broke
   F-Secure study shows that users were concerned about cloud security even before PRISM news broke

Now that details about the United States’ PRISM program have come to light, most users probably think that the data they store in the cloud is likely accessed by others.

However, a study performed by F-Secure in April shows that many users had been concerned even before the recent PRISM revelations.

Most of the 6,000 people interviewed by the IT security solutions provider upload their data to Facebook, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft SkyDrive, and Apple iCloud.

However, as the 2013 F-Secure’s Digital Lifestyle Survey highlights, just because these services are popular, it doesn’t mean customers are confident in them.

Back in April, 59% of consumers said they were concerned that someone else was accessing the data they stored on the aforementioned services.

Moreover, 60% of the respondents were concerned that the service providers were selling their personal content to others.

62% believed that their digital behavior data was being sold to third parties, and 63% were concerned about vulnerabilities in the storage technologies.

From a geographical standpoint, European users, except for the ones from France, were less concerned than users from the US and Brazil.

The study shows that people aged between 20 and 30 are more concerned about the risks associated with storing data in the cloud than individuals aged 50 to 60.

Interestingly, those who use multiple screens at one time are more concerned than users who utilize only one screen.

“The findings reflect that consumers have been generally aware of the issues surrounding storing your content in the cloud,” noted Timo Laaksonen, vice president, Content Cloud at F-Secure.

“This further underscores the need for secure, private cloud services with a company like F-Secure, who knows security inside and out and respects your ownership of your data.”