Check Point Software Technologies Inc (CHKP)

[midastouch017]

National Survey Finds Voters Near Unanimous in Their Concern About Cyber Security and Looking to Congress for Better Protection
Wednesday June 15, 7:00 am ET
More Than 90 Percent of Voters See Identity Theft and Spyware as Serious Problems with 71 Percent Believing New Laws from Congress are Required to Protect Consumer Security


ARLINGTON, Va., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the only public policy and advocacy group dedicated exclusively to cyber security, today released the results of a nationwide survey of voters dedicated to Internet safety issues. The survey of 1,003 likely voters (3% margin of error) conducted on behalf of CSIA by Pineda Consulting, reveals that voters are becoming increasingly insecure about using the Internet and are looking for Congress, industry and consumer groups to do more to keep them safe online. It also revealed little difference between Republicans and Democrats on cyber security policy issues.
The survey found voters -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- are nearly unanimous in their fear of identity theft and spyware. Specifically, 97 percent of voters rate identity theft as a serious problem, while 93 percent find spyware a serious problem. In addition, the fear of identity theft is keeping many consumers from doing business online, with 48 percent indicating that they avoid making purchases on the Internet because they are afraid their financial information may be stolen. Overall, 71 percent of voters believe new laws are needed to protect consumer privacy on the Internet.

"Clearly voters are concerned about the security of their personal information on the Internet, and that fear is inhibiting the full potential of e-commerce. Keeping the Internet a place where consumers feel confident doing business can only be achieved through a coordinated, comprehensive approach that includes tough punishment through better laws, high security standards from companies, partnership with consumer groups, and protection for consumers nationwide," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of CSIA. "We must be careful about the public policy course we chart in the next few years as it will have long-term consequences for innovation and economic growth. When legislation is deemed necessary, such as in the case of securing sensitive personal information, Congress should not duplicate requirements already set forth under existing Federal law, but should address 'gaps' in existing law and encourage the adoption of widely accepted cyber security standards."


Other survey findings of note include:

Emerging Concerns
-- The majority of Internet users (83%) have heard of spyware, although
the level of awareness is not as ubiquitous as spam (93%). Of those
not familiar with the term, 81 percent have experienced at least one of
its symptoms, such as pop-up ads or decreased computer performance.

-- The more voters learn about spyware, the more it scares them. Without
the benefit of a statement describing spyware, two-thirds of voters
rated it a serious problem. When fully informed of the nature of
spyware, nearly all voters (93%) considered it a serious problem.

-- Not all software that operates in the background is perceived as
harmful by Internet users. For example, 67 percent of Internet users
think the benefits of automatic security updates outweigh the possible
risks.

-- More Internet users think small-time con artists and delinquent
teenagers are the biggest threats to the safety of the Internet (45%)
than enemy nations, organized crime and terrorist organizations (36%).

Policy Preferences
-- Only 28 percent of voters think government is placing the right
emphasis on protecting our information systems and networks, as opposed
to 64 percent who think that government needs to make protecting our
information systems a higher priority.

-- Voters are much more likely to believe that privacy protection should
be left to the U.S. Congress (60%) than to state legislatures (35%).

-- Despite the call for a legislative solution, only 32 percent of voters
trust the Congress to do what's right for the Internet. On the other
hand, 63 percent trust consumer groups like the Better Business Bureau.

"Voters are looking to government for more leadership and accountability on cyber security issues, and politicians are starting to respond," said Kurtz. "There are currently more than 18 pieces of federal legislation written to address cyber security, ranging from spyware to identity theft, and hundreds of similar bills on the state level. We need to address these key issues at a national level in a thoughtful, measured way."

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050615/nyw048.html?.v=12

Dubi