Nearly three-quarters of the people surveyed said that presidential candidates should make cybersecurity a priority, such as protection of government computer systems and critical infrastructure from cyber attacks, while 68% cited terrorism as a priority, according to the Unisys Security Index. Lieberman Research Group surveyed 1,005 US adults in February to compile the index.
Around 37% of respondents said that they would prefer to use one or more biometric security procedures to protect information when they work remotely or conduct personal online transactions; 55% of respondents said they prefer complex passwords; 32% said they prefer simple passwords.
In addition, the survey found that 59% of respondents are seriously concerned about identity theft, 56% are seriously concerned about credit/debit card fraud, and 39% are seriously concerned about online transaction security.
The US public's concerns about overall security have declined to an index figure of 131 in 2012, from 164 in 2011.
To improve cybersecurity, Unisys recommended that organizations: establish a holistic cybersecurity framework to protect enterprise data and networks from internal and external threats; manage user identities and entitlements through an integrated approach to lower audit reporting costs by centrally managing digital user identities; employ next-generation devices that enable advanced authentication technologies; and adopt a coordinated approach to sensitive data protection.