A Difficult Year
Americans on cybersecurity. 2020 was that to say the least. No matter your political affiliation or beliefs, it was a difficult time in our country. Compounding all of the global news was the looming election in the United States. Americans had a lot on their minds, but where did cybersecurity fall in that?
As malware and data breaches ran rampant, ransoms continued to increase. Ransomware went from being an arbitrary thought in the American household to a regular headline across our news feeds. Everyone is now aware in some respect. And despite the continued attacks, Americans have yet to bring the conversation forward.
So PC Matic was curious, how do Americans feel about cybersecurity? Do we think we’re prepared? Finally, are our federal and local governments equipped to handle an attack?
The Survey
We surveyed nearly 1400 people from across the US for our Americans on Cybersecurity poll. These respondents represent ages 18 to 75+ and are from a myriad of different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the gender split was almost completely even.
The highlights include the first and possibly most important question. “How confident are you that the United States government can defend itself against cyber-attacks?” 57% of Americans polled do not feel confident that the US government can defend itself.
Another interesting find is that over 90% of Americans are concerned about identity theft following an attack. In fact, a majority of Americans (85%+) have concerns about losing access to financial institutions, personal devices, and critical infrastructure like water and electricity. These are all valid concerns.
In Summation
Mostly what we found are that Americans are split. Some feel we’re prepared, others vehemently do not. What we can all agree on, however, is our collective concern over if a successful attack were to be executed. With President Biden’s infrastructure plan being rolled out, we wonder how much of that will be allocated to the persistent need for increased cybersecurity. So far there are no set plans.
If you didn’t have a chance to answer, tell us how prepared you feel your local state government is for a cyberattack. Also, do you feel the federal government could defend itself under those circumstances? Let us know! We look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time, stay safe out there.
To read the full report, visit us here.
