Indians pick personal data security over $1mn: Norton Survey

Norton, global leader in providing online security solutions revealed the Norton Survey 2012 for India. The survey reaffirmed the fact that Internet has indeed become an intrinsic part of our daily lives. The online survey was conducted in the month of February 2012, by The Leading Edge, an independent market research firm on behalf of Norton by Symantec. The survey provides insights into Indians' Internet dependence, the importance of their personal information and their level of understanding when it comes to Internet security.

In terms of Internet consumption, on an average, Indians spend 58 hours a week online and on an average every Indian owns 2.8 Internet connected devices. Browsing (12.9 hrs/week) tops the list in terms of top three activities depending on the hours spent online, followed by socializing (9.7 hrs/week) and then emails (6.1 hrs/week). Other interesting statistics include the fact that 83% online Indian adults find it difficult to live without the Internet for more than 24 hours. And what’s alarming is the fact that 49% suffer from Internet withdrawal within the first 3 hours. What do they miss the most? 71% miss the work related activities, while 51% miss socializing with family and friends, followed by 43% who miss convenience of everyday living (i.e. looking for information online, etc.).     

Protection for your PC and other devices

When it comes to online security, what’s heartening is to know that over three quarters of Indians would give up US$ 1 million than grant a stranger full access to their computer. The survey revealed that people are more concerned about protecting their personal information, protecting their privacy and blocking malware/viruses when downloading. On the other hand it revealed that while people are aware about the online threats and are aware that they need online security protection (96 percent), half of them have little or no understanding of the online security solutions that are available to them. While 60 percent of them believe that the basic security is enough.

David Hall, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific, Norton, says that Norton wants to change this by offering a simple solution to the customers that will take care of their security needs across platforms. He says, “While the Indian consumers highly value their personal information, many do not have security solution in place to protect them from possible threats. With consumers increasingly owning multiple devices, there is a need for a security solution that provides them protection across platforms.” Catering to this need, Norton will soon launch Norton 360 Everywhere, an easy-to-manage, all-in-one security solution to provide security across platforms like PC, MAC, Android-based phones and tablets.