Presidential Candidates are not Paying Enough Attention to Cybersecurity, According to New Survey

Heading into the first presidential debate, a new survey sponsored by LifeLock, Inc. (NYSE: LOCK), a leading provider of identity theft protection services, shows the majority of Americans—58 percent—feel the presidential candidates are not paying enough attention to cybersecurity.

The results of the survey, conducted online Sept. 9-13 by Harris Poll on behalf of LifeLock among more than 2,000 U.S. adults, come as hacked emails from the personal accounts of public officials, most recently former secretary of state Colin Powell, continue to draw headlines.

In fact, more Americans believe they are likely to become a victim of a data breach (39 percent) than catch Zika (8 percent) in the next 12 months, according to the survey. Older Americans (age 65+) are more likely than younger adults (age 18 – 34) to believe that they are likely to have their personal information compromised in a data breach in the next 12 months (43 percent vs. 34 percent).

The survey also asked Americans about the perceived threat of foreign-government hackers and found three in five Americans (60 percent) are worried about foreign-government sponsored cyberattacks.

The majority of Americans (70 percent) said the U.S. government should be responsible for protecting their personal information. More than half (54 percent) think the U.S. government should spend more on cybersecurity, while only 44 percent say we should spend more on national defense.

The vast majority of Americans (96 percent) agree that it's important for companies like retailers and financial intuitions make every effort to protect their personal information. And 92 percent also acknowledged that it is ultimately their own responsibility to ensure their personal data is secure.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of LifeLock from September 9-13, 2016, among 2,093 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Figures were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. For complete survey methodology, contact media contact below.

About LifeLock

LifeLock, Inc. (NYSE:LOCK) is a leading provider of proactive identity theft protection services for consumers and fraud and risk management solutions for enterprises. LifeLock's threat detection, proactive identity alerts, and comprehensive remediation services help provide peace of mind for consumers amid the growing threat of identity theft. Leveraging unique data, science and patented technology from ID Analytics Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary. LifeLock offers identity theft protection that goes beyond credit monitoring. As part of its commitment to help fight identity theft, LifeLock works to train law enforcement and partners with a variety of non-profit organizations to help consumers establish positive habits to combat this threat.