Posted: 05th Jul, 2005 By: MarkJ
Independent research of 423 consumers by Preventon, a managed security provider, has revealed that ISPs may be losing out on revenue opportunities by failing to meet the security demands of their customers:
ISPs failure to provide desktop protection against internet threats has forced two-thirds of home PC users to take the DIY option, despite the majority lacking the necessary know-how to ensure they are not left vulnerable. Service providers are missing out on a major opportunity to increase revenues and enhance customer loyalty as 5 in 10 consumers would prefer a subscription-based blended security solution from their ISP.
66.8% of consumers currently manage their own desktop protection, but most attempts at DIY security are leaving home PCs open to attack. Almost half (47.7%) have only installed one security software application - most commonly either an anti-virus package, a firewall or anti-spyware software and consequently their computer is vulnerable to a wide range of threats from viruses, Trojans and spyware to phishing and hacking attacks. Only 25.3% of PC owners have installed the standard security packages which came bundled with their PC. The research revealed that 68.6% of home PCs have suffered a virus infection.
Over 60% of consumers believe that ISPs should provide desktop defence against all forms of cyber-threats. 45.4% home PC users would be ready to pay a monthly subscription to ISPs for a blended-security solution. According to market-research agency MORI, 54% would pay up to £2 more a month for a better service[2].
The research highlighted a widespread lack of a basic understanding of industry terminology, the difference between types of threats and the most appropriate security solutions available. For example, 74.2% of those questioned rated identity theft as a major threat, whereas only 22.5% saw phishing as a significant security risk. This indicates that consumers dont recognise the connection between the two that phishing is simply a method for stealing financial and personal information from unwitting consumers. Additionally, despite 89.3% claiming to be very concerned about PC security, the majority of consumers failed to correctly identify which security applications can stop common threats such as worms, viruses or key-logging software.The research shows us nothing new, however, it should be pointed out that many ISP's are now providing greater security measures to their users. Typically, more could always be done.