New McAfee Study Reveals Asia Pacific Consumers Prioritise Convenience Over Security While on Vacation

·  Majority of respondents from countries in APAC like
Japan and Australia, intended to stay connected when on vacation

·  In APAC, respondents from Australia seem to spend
the least time on devices while those from Japan and  India spend the
most.

·  More than half of respondents who remained
unplugged, claimed that it made their vacation more enjoyable

·  While on vacation the smartphone is the main device
that respondents are the least willing to give up compared to laptops and
tablets

Singapore, June 7, 2017 – To help educate consumers as they prepare for their vacations,
McAfee conducted a study, “Digital Detox: Unwind, Relax and Unplug,” to
better understand the behavior and attitudes of consumers when on vacation, and
how digital habits could be putting their personal information at risk. The study found that despite the benefits
experienced from unplugging, most individuals prefer to stay connected. 60% of
India respondents and 71% of Japan respondents indicated that they spend at
least an hour a day using their connected devices to check email, text and post
to social media while on vacation.

The holiday
season can be a lot of fun for everyone, including cybercriminals who may try
to exploit travelers who are in unfamiliar settings. When individuals put
convenience over security, by using unsecured Wi-Fi access points that are
easily hackable for example, they leave themselves open to the possibility of
having their personal information compromised.

“Our devices
are extensions of ourselves that we rely on for more tasks every day. Consumers
in Asia Pacific remain unaware of the dangers of connecting to public Wi-Fi
access points and tend to carry this habit when they travel due to the need to
remain reachable for work and to share their travel experiences on social
media,” said David Freer, Vice President, Consumer, Asia Pacific, McAfee.
“Individuals must exercise caution when using their devices on vacation. By
taking basic security precautions and avoiding unnecessary risks, consumers can
better protect personal information making their vacation more enjoyable
knowing they are connecting with confidence.”

The wide
availability of Wi-Fi networks can make it difficult to unplug and disconnect
on holiday but if consumers take that extra step and unplug they can experience
a more secure trip. While many individuals did not intend to unplug while
traveling, those that did reported a much more enjoyable experience.

·  More than half of
respondents in India (52%) and Japan (67%) could not last a day without
checking their work or personal email. Majority admitted to checking emails at
least once a day. In contrast, only 29% of respondents in Australia could not
go a day without checking their work or personal email.

·  Respondents from
India (51%) and Japan (56%) find it hard to resist checking social media while
vacationing, while the figure is Australia came in to just below one third at
30%.

·  Respondents have no
issues leaving their laptops behind for a vacation but not their smartphones.

·  The most common
reason individuals avoid unplugging was to be reachable by family and friends.

·  Almost half of
participants primarily connected using publicly available Wi-Fi leaving them
open to potential security risks.

·  Less than half of
participants from Australia and Japan know how to determine whether a Wi-Fi
connection is secure, with even less taking the time to check their connection.

·  Participants from
Australia and Japan also do not consider the security of their Wi-Fi
connection, and for a third shared that the stronger their need to remain
connected, the less they would care about the security of the Wi-Fi connection

·  Alarmingly, travelers
from APAC considered their personal information and data to be more secure
while traveling than it is at home, as compared to travelers from the U.S.

·  A smaller percentage
of participants claimed that they stayed connected to be reachable by work, but
if work were not a factor more than half would prefer to stay unplugged.

·  More than half
checked their work emails at least daily; 64% in Australia, 84% in India, 90%
in Japan

·  More than half of
parents allow their children to use connected devices while traveling, and with
most of these parents claim to monitor their child’s usage.

·  Browse securely when
away from home. Ensure that you are connecting securely while traveling and avoid
using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. If you absolutely must connect to a
public Wi-Fi network, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
like McAfee Safe Connect. A VPN
will keep your information private and ensure that data goes straight from your
device to where you are connecting.

·  Update your devices. The first line of defense for your devices is you, so it’s
important to take a few precautions to stay safe. Make sure your devices’
operating system and applications are kept updated. Using old versions of
software could leave you open to potential security vulnerabilities.

·  Install cross-device security. After you’ve updated your devices with the
latest software install comprehensive security. A solution like McAfee LiveSafe can help  your devices stay clear of
viruses and other unwanted malware.

·  Use a device locating app. If you lose your connected device, especially on
vacation, it can be difficult to recover. Location applications can help you
find, lock and even erase your device’s data in the event of theft or
loss.

In March 2017,
McAfee commissioned MSI International to conduct an online study of 9,500
people who use a connected device daily in Australia, France, Germany, U.K,
Japan, India and U.S. The survey included individuals between 18-55 split
evenly by gender.

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