Cyber Security a Top Concern in Asia Pacific, says Internet Society Survey

Findings indicate that current policies fall short in making
people feel protected online

SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Online security is the area that warrants the most urgent attention from
policymakers, according to the recently published Internet Society
Survey on Policy Issues in Asia Pacific.

The survey polled almost 2,000 end-users from across the region on their
attitudes towards current Internet policy issues. Access is still the
primary concern for stakeholders, but Internet security has become top
of mind, replacing cloud computing as the second-most followed topic by
respondents, as tracked by the annual study. Moreover, 58% of
respondents in the 2016 survey thought cybercrime was an issue that
needed to be addressed by government, followed by connectivity (47%),
data protection (45%) and privacy (44%).

As connectivity has improved over the past year — 70% stated that they
had experienced better Internet speed and 55% saw a drop in the cost of
their Internet subscription—users are turning their focus to online
trust.

“The results of this year’s survey show that stakeholders in the region
hold connectivity and security as paramount, and feel these need urgent
attention from governments,” explained Rajnesh Singh, Internet Society’s
Regional Bureau Director for Asia-Pacific. “As trust online has become a
key issue for Internet users throughout Asia Pacific, it’s clear that
people feel that current policies are not doing enough to protect their
privacy and security online,” added Singh.

The elements of trust online are multi-faceted and are reflected in the
survey’s findings. A large proportion of respondents cited data
protection (77%) as crucial for building confidence in the Internet.
More than half also felt that consumer protection (54%), transparency
(51%), and the ability to communicate confidentially (51%) were more
important than content, service, technology and applications (45%).

While many believed that policies regarding online security in their
country were largely compatible with their human and civil rights, this
view did not extend to privacy online. The survey reveals that 59% of
participants did not believe their privacy was protected online.

Internet users were also doubtful about the impact of online security
policies on their online activities: over half indicated these policies
have not increased their confidence in being able to use the Internet
securely – and only 34% agreed that the current online security policies
appropriately address the real threats and risks encountered online.

Full survey results, including background and methodology can be found
at: http://www.internetsociety.org/doc/internet-society-survey-policy-issues-asia-pacific-2016.

About the Internet Society

The Internet Society, www.internetsociety.org,
is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought
leadership from around the world. It is also the organizational home for
the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). With its principled vision
and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes
open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development
among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working
with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society
enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.

Contacts

Internet Society
Noelle Francesca de Guzman
deguzman@isoc.org