The hacking of Ashley Madison, the cheaters' online dating service, is continuing to have repercussions. The first of what are likely to be many more lawsuits have been filed against the company have been set in motion. Now there are rumours that the company may not be just a victim of hacking, but may have perpetrated a cyber-attack on a rival company.
Meanwhile, Rutgers University in the US, which has itself been the victim of at least four cyber-attacks, has announced it is to invest $3million on improving its cyber-security.
New research, commissioned by Intercede and conducted by Atomik Research, questioned approximately 2,000 16-35 year olds (‘Millennials’) across the UK and US on their perceptions of current security measures.
70% of those surveyed believe the risk to their online security will increase as they become more reliant on digital services. In fact, only 5% said they believed their digital identity and personal data were completely protected by effective security measures. Almost a half of the respondents (45%) only change passwords when forced to do so.
Key findings
When it comes to the implications of increased public distrust in online security, whether by government or business:
- 54% felt the failure of companies and governments to protect identities and data would result in public distrust of goods and services.
- 44% believe this will lead to a decline in data sharing
- 12% believe growing distrust could lead to a decline in economic stability
- 9% expressed concern about domestic political instability; 6% were concerned about international political instability
Sources: ITProPortal; Intercede.