BLUE BELL, Pa. (7/8/15)--U.S. consumers feel relatively safe about data breaches not occurring at their financial institutions, according to a new study from Unisys. However, a higher percentage fear a data breach could occur at another retailer within the next 12 months.
The perceived threat of data breaches is low for financial institutions and utilities, suggesting high levels of trust in regards to security for those types of organizations, Unisys reported.
Americans are most concerned about cybersecurity risks from retailers, with 44% describing the chance of a retailer data breach in the next 12 months as “likely.” Concern is also high for a security breach within government agencies (39%) and telecommunications providers (35%).
Only 24% respondents expected a data breach at a financial institution within the next 12 months.
Among demographic profiles, concerns of data breach are most evident across older middle-aged respondents age 50-64.
U.S. respondents were also asked about their perceptions regarding the usage of biometrics as a security measure. Roughly 38% of the total respondents endorsed biometrics to increase their smartphone cybersecurity.