A majority (88 per cent) of Internet users in India are concerned that their information will be stolen online. Despite that, 50 per cent reuse the same two to three passwords across multiple online accounts, according to a report.
It said more than one-third (35 per cent) of Indians have used a family member’s name as a password and 31 per cent have used a significant date such as wedding, anniversary or birthday — all of which can be guessed easily and may create security issues as consumers begin using an increasing number of Internet-connected devices.
According to Information Systems Audit and Control Association’s (ISACA) 2013 IT Risk/Reward Barometer survey, it found that there are some gaps between fears and actions as Indians try to manage privacy and security in an increasingly connected and censored world.
For example, it said that only eight per cent of the surveyed people say application makers are the source they trust most with their data and 61 per cent continue to share important personal information online.
However, Indians do take more precautions with their data than consumers in the other countries surveyed do.
Privacy policies
It said around 65 per cent of Indians always or sometimes read privacy policies when downloading apps, and 72 per cent read policies when registering on Web sites.
In comparison, 50 per cent of the US consumers read privacy policies when downloading apps. Additionally, 85 per cent of Indian consumers have checked the privacy settings on their social media profiles in the past six months, compared with 75 per cent of US respondents.
“The survey reveals that with the rise of emerging technologies, enterprises today are embracing Internet-connected devices to deliver business benefits, but they need to have strong governance structures and processes in place, and keep consumers’ concerns at the forefront of their decisions,” Sunder Krishnan, Executive Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer, Reliance Life Insurance Company, and Chairman of the ISACA India Task Force, said.
The survey was conducted among 2,013 ISACA members from around the world, including 131 in India. ISACA is a global association of 1.10 lakh IT security, assurance, governance and risk professionals.