News Release
Contacts:
Julian Brophy, Perception Partners, + 61 408 276 749
julian@perceptionpartners.com.au
Claire Hosegood, Unisys, + 61 411 253 663
claire.hosegood@au.unisys.com
Australians Left Exposed to Cyber Crime by Unprotected Mobile
Devices, according to Unisys Research
As overall security concerns in Australia fall, personal risk of identity theft is
high – Unisys Security Index
SYDNEY, 26 October, 2010 – Australians have taken charge of protecting their identity on
social networking sites but are leaving themselves exposed by not securing their mobile
devices, according to new research released today by Unisys.
The results from the latest Unisys Security Index™ show that nearly six out of ten (58
percent) Australians never secure their mobiles, PDAs or smartphones by using, and
regularly changing, a password or PIN. Only 18 percent said they always secured their
mobile device.
Percentage of Australians who said they always take the following precautions against
cyber crime and identity theft:
18% always use, and change regularly, passwords on their main mobile devices (58%
never)
37% always use hard to guess passwords that are changed regularly when using the
Internet (29% never)
43% always read and comply with policies and privacy statements of companies they do
business with (20% never)
57% always securely shred and dispose of personal paperwork, such as bills, tax
documents and medical papers (21% never)
60% always limit personal information posted to social networking websites, and set
privacy settings to restrict who can access their information (22% never)
64% always update security and virus protection software on their computer (14% never)
“The majority of Australians are leaving themselves vulnerable to cyber crime and identity
theft by simply not bothering to lock their mobile devices with a password or PIN. Think of
the vast amount of information that can be found on most mobile phones – phone numbers,
addresses, birthdays and even bank account numbers – all of which can be used to re-
create someone’s identity,” said John Kendall, National Security Program Director, Unisys
Asia Pacific.
“The risk isn’t just to the owner of the phone, but can also represent a risk to the companies
that they work for. In fact, any gadget that has access to the internet presents a risk to an
organisation if the user doesn’t secure the device properly. And the Unisys Security Index
results are suggesting they aren’t.
“Technology has moved quickly and many organisations have not yet caught up with the
security protection and policies that the latest gadgets require. And when you consider that
97 percent of Australian employees use at least one self-purchased technology device at
work
(1)
, the potential exposure is significant.
“Given the national interconnectedness of the infrastructure that drives our aviation,
electricity and water supply, banking and finance, and telecommunications networks – it is
vitally important that we work quickly to respond to this changing security landscape,” said
Mr Kendall.
Younger Aussies now better protecting their identity on social networking sites
In contrast to the low percentage of people who actively protect their mobile devices, 60
percent of Australians say they always limit information posted to social networking websites
and set privacy settings to restrict who can access their information. Young Australians
aged 18-34 appear to be protecting their online identities with 70 percent saying they do it
always, compared to only 44 percent of those over 50. Interestingly when similar research
was conducted in 2007, 18-34 year olds were twice as likely as those aged 50-64 to be
comfortable providing personal details such as email addresses, full name and age on a
social networking site. Comparing this finding with 2010 survey results suggests that
younger people may now be getting the message about the importance of protecting their
personal information online.
“Australians are quick to embrace new technology. However there appears to be a lag
between adopting new gadgets, such as smartphones, and implementing appropriate
security measures – even if it is as simple as using a password,” said Mr Kendall.
This is particularly surprising given that the top two areas of concern for Australians
identified in the Unisys Security Index relate to identity theft:
56% are extremely or very concerned about unauthorised access to, or misuse of,
personal information, and
55% are extremely or very concerned about other people obtaining/using their credit
card details
Unisys Security Index Declines
The Unisys Security Index, conducted by Newspoll and Australia’s only regular barometer of
security concern, shows Australians are ending the year more relaxed than they started.
The overall level of concern on key security issues stands at 115 out of 300, down 8 points
compared to April 2010.
The four key areas of security surveyed all showed decline:
National Security Index: 110 – down 11points
Financial Security Index: 124 – down 7points
Internet Security Index: 111 – down 6 points
Personal Security Index: 115 – down 7 points
“Australians may be feeling more relaxed about security – but they risk placing themselves
at higher risk of cyber crime if they don’t take simple steps to protect their identity – including
securing their mobile devices,” said Mr Kendall.
(1)
Unisys Consumerisation of IT research for Australia conducted by IDC:
About the Unisys Security Index
The Unisys Security Index is a bi-annual global study that provides insights into the attitudes
of consumers on a wide range of security related issues. Conducted in Australia by 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 17-
19 September 2010 by Newspoll using a nationally representative sample of 1,202
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:
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 specialise in helping
clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilisation of their data centres,
enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernise 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
approximately 24,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organisations and government
agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
About Unisys Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New
Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan and
through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region. Visit www.unisys.com.au.
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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.
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