While people say they are concerned about mobile security and privacy, some don’t take some of the steps needed to ensure their protection, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by security technology company Rivetz. Younger generations were found to be much less likely to effectively secure their data than other generations, according to the mobile data protection attitudes study.More than nine-in-10 adults (91%) said it was their duty to keep their data secure. But even though smart phone loss is a major concern for millennials, younger generations were far less concerned about protecting their data than other generations.
For example, millennials and Gen Zers twice as likely (14%) to stay signed into online banking accounts as Gen Xers or Baby Boomers (7%). If you stay signed on, it makes it easier for an unauthorized person to gain access to the account, especially if you misplace your phone or it is stolen.
In addition, twice as many Gen Xers (66%) and Baby Boomers (62%) as Millennials (33%) thought it was important for all of their IoT devices to communicate with one another security
If their smartphone was stolen, more than 90 percent of respondents said they would find it important or extremely important to prevent someone from accessing the content on their smartphone if they lost it.
“Our smartphones are an extension of ourselves,”said Steven Sprague, CEO of Rivetz, in a prepared statement. “Our devices are so personal – they are our digital identity. It is paramount that we put users in control of their data by protecting their devices with simple and safe built-in solutions.”
Rivetz recommends two-factor authentication, which requires not only a username and password but also another piece of information unique to you – such as a security code sent to your mobile device via text or app. Ninety-two percent of respondents felt two-factor authentication kept their data more secure. The same percentage (92 percent) also believe it is worth it, in the long run, to take a little longer to log into their accounts to avoid data breaches in the future.