Security News > 2021 > June > Digital convenience leads to lax security habits among users, survey finds
Based on a survey of more than 20,000 people around the world, the study on the security "Side effects" of the pandemic also found that growing preferences for digital convenience are leading to lax security habits among users.
Convenience outweighs security and privacy: More than half of millennials said they would rather place an order digitally vs. call or go to a physical location in person-even if there were concerns about the app/website security or privacy.
Paving the way for digital ID? The concept of "Vaccine passports" exposed consumers to a real-world use case for digital credentials; 65% said they are now familiar with the concept of digital credentials, and 75% would be likely to use it if they became commonly accepted.
With users more likely to overlook security in favor of the convenience of digital ordering, companies will have to assume the burden of security and provide these services to avoid fraud, the IBM report said.
"The pandemic led to a surge in new online accounts, but society's growing preference for digital convenience may come at a cost to security and data privacy," said Charles Henderson, global managing partner and head of IBM Security X-Force, in a statement.
Put security to the test: With usage and reliance on digital platforms changing rapidly, companies should consider dedicated testing to verify that the security strategies and technologies they've relied on previously still hold up in this new landscape.