January 11, 2011

Security concerns drive changing buying patterns

Identity theft, losing data among top worries

Absolute Software Corporation, the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and secure computer lifecycle management solutions has announced survey findings that highlight top consumer security concerns and the impact that those issues have on the decision to purchase laptops, mobile devices, and associated protection solutions. 

The survey asked respondents to rank their top security concerns, and found that 62 percent of consumers listed 'losing the data on their laptops' and 'identity theft' as their primary worries. Surprisingly, while most respondents identified device and data security as a key issue, survey results indicated a large percentage of consumers were still not taking the necessary precautions to protect both the device and data.

"While it's clear that the average consumer understands the importance of safeguarding their laptops and personal information, our data indicates a need for better consumer understanding of the need to protect both the device and data," said Mark Grace, vice president of consumer business for Absolute Software. "The public needs to understand the importance of utilizing a solution that allows them to remotely manage and secure their laptops in order to reduce the devastating damage resulting from the loss of personal data or hardware."

The survey also revealed that consumer security concerns are driving interest in more traditional enterprise security and device management solutions for their personal devices, including:

• Geolocation (53 percent)
• Remote file retrieval (50 percent)
• Device freeze (50 percent)
• Remote data delete (40 percent)
• Mobile security applications (18 percent)

"The pervasiveness of mobile devices in our day-to-day lives is increasing, as is the value of the data on these devices.  Our survey indicates that 2011 will see a greater demand from consumers for comprehensive security offerings to protect all of their devices and the data on them," added Grace. "Absolute Software has long been the industry leader in protecting both device and data, and in delivering enterprise-caliber security solutions for consumers. Our focus is to continue to release next-generation device and data security features that will directly address the high-tech demands of today's savvy consumers."

Hardware security concerns involve more than just laptops

According to the survey, 57 percent of respondents reported owning more than seven technology gadgets per household, including laptops, cell phones and digital cameras. Consumers are expressing interest in products designed to aid in the management of these devices. Early adopters have pegged mobile device security offerings as a logical next step, with 18 percent of respondents indicating that they would be very interested in a mobile security application. 

Data loss more critical to consumers than hardware loss

While the loss of a computer or other hardware device is a critical concern for consumers, the data they often contain has become invaluable. According to the survey, data loss (62 percent), identity theft (62 percent) and unauthorized access to files contained on a database (51 percent) are identified as higher security concerns than the loss of the computer itself (41 percent.)