Individuals and families feel more exposed and ill-equipped to secure their digital lives
India trends to watch in 2022:
- While life online is loaded with conveniences, they’re not enough. People want to be secure.
- Consumers want a protected connection, even if it costs them.
- Gamers will take a pass on so-called “free” videogames.
- AI monitoring of healthcare? Not so fast.
- Cryptocurrency fraud like the “Squid Game” scam will sour consumer taste for fintech.
- Vax cards are the new credit cards, and consumers in India want them protected.
- Online learning and consultations will increasingly take root with consumers—above and beyond COVID necessities.
New Delhi: McAfee’s 2022 Global Trends Study, released today, reveals Indian consumers’ greater perceived risk of exposure to online threats for individuals and family members, and a corresponding desire to invest in online protection. These findings come as more consumers shift their daily lives online, with greater use of internet banking, more investment in virtual assets, and a proliferation of online activities due to COVID-19.
“Almost every aspect of our lives now intersects the digital world. This requires greater levels of information to be shared with an increasing number of applications and organizations through the Internet. Safeguarding this information requires a combination of strong security architecture of applications along with good user hygiene, such as strong passwords and multi factor authentication,” said McAfee’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman. “The potential loss of sensitive personal information is a major concern for our customers and their families. Our mission is to educate people and provide tools to deliver privacy and protection to enable customers to safely maximize the benefits of our digital world.”
A reoccurring theme throughout the survey was a shift to being fully protected over other benefits such as convenience and cost. 71% of consumers said they addressed their security and privacy risks by using new tools on their devices — such as a VPN, antivirus apps, firewalls, credit monitoring services, and so forth. This emphasis on consciousness of consumers for security and their willingness to pay for apps and services that provide total protection online.
In-depth findings for India are available in the factsheet attached.
2021 presented unique risks, further increased digital adoption, and shifts around traditional activities online. It is imperative that consumers around the globe take action to keep themselves and their families safe, secure, and protected to best enjoy life online in 2022. For more information on how to stay safe online, visit our blog.
Survey Methodology: McAfee, LLC commissioned MSI-ACI to conduct an online survey about possible shifts in needs, attitudes and actions around online safety. The study spanned 10,000 consumers aged between 20 and 60 years old in multiple countries between November 24 and December 5, 2021.