CHECK POINT SURVEY REVEALS A GENERATION GAP IN COMPUTER SECURITY
CHECK POINT SURVEY REVEALS A GENERATION GAP IN COMPUTER SECURITY
Gen Y Reported More Security Issues than Baby Boomers but Less Concern TORONTO- June 20, 2012 - Check Point <http://www.checkpoint.com/> R
Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing
the Internet, today announced the results of a new ZoneAlarm
<http://www.zonealarm.com/> report revealing differences in the use of
computer security between Gen Y and Baby Boomers. The report, The Generation
Gap in Computer Security
<http://www.zonealarm.com/products/downloads/whitepapers/generation_gap_rese
arch_2012.pdf> , found that Gen Y is more confident in its security
knowledge than Baby Boomers. However, 50 per cent of Gen Y respondents have
had security issues in the past two years compared to less-than-half of Baby
Boomers. The broad adoption of digital media and social networking, combined with the
increasing amount of sensitive data that is stored online, is making
personal computer security more important than ever before. Yet the
ZoneAlarm study reveals that 78 per cent of Gen Y respondents do not follow
security best practices while cybercriminals are launching new and more
sophisticated attacks on consumers every day. In comparison, Baby Boomers
are more concerned about security and privacy and twice more likely to
protect their computers with additional security software. "Growing up in the digital age, Gen Y may appear to be a more tech-savvy
generation, but that does not translate into safer computer and online
practices," said Paul Comessotti, Canadian Regional Director, Check Point
Software Technologies. "The ZoneAlarm Study reveals that the most at risk
group, and prone to cyber attacks, is Gen Y. That makes this group even more
vulnerable to online security threats." "Gen Y tends to prioritize entertainment and community over security,
perhaps due to overconfidence in their security knowledge. For example,
they're more concerned about gaming or other social activities than their
online security. They also have less sophisticated security software, and
hence, have reported more security problems than other groups, such as Baby
Boomers." Key Findings from the Report: Computer Security Increases in Priority with Age - Only 31 per cent of Gen Y
rank security as the most important consideration when making decision about
their computers in comparison to 58 per cent of Baby Boomers. Gen Y
prioritizes entertainment and community above security. Gen Y is Overconfident in its Security Knowledge - Gen Y (63 per cent)
claims to be more knowledgeable about security when compared to Baby Boomers
(59 per cent). However, half of Gen Y respondents have had security issues
in the past two years in comparison to less than half (42 per cent) of Baby
Boomers. Gen Y has Less Sophisticated Security Due to Cost and Technical Barriers -
Gen Y respondents are less likely to use paid antivirus, 3rd-party
firewalls, or integrated security suites than Baby Boomers. Gen Y (45 per
cent) view security software as too expensive in comparison to Baby Boomers
(37 per cent). Sensitive Data is Stored on Computers, Yet Most Do Not Follow Security Best
Practices - 84 per cent of people keep sensitive data, such as tax records,
financial info, and passwords, on their computers. However, most users (71
per cent), especially Gen Y (78 per cent), do not follow security best
practices. "Financial fraud is one of the main driving factors for cybercriminals these
days. They are targeting consumers and not just looking to hack into one
computer. They seek to use their victims' PCs to spread attacks and
infiltrate a whole community, including family, friends and work," said Bari
Abdul, VP and Head of Check Point's Consumer Business, ZoneAlarm. "Online
attacks spread rapidly now that we're connected more than ever before
through social media. It is imperative that consumers, especially Gen Y,
adopt security best practices, and protect their computers with adequate
security, which includes at a minimum antivirus and a two-way firewall." Check Point protects millions of consumers from viruses, hackers, and
identity theft through its award-winning ZoneAlarm
<http://www.zonealarm.com/> solutions. Most recently, Check Point launched
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall
<http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/zonealarm-free-antivirus-firewall.h
tm> , the most complete free Internet security solution for consumers.
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall combines the world's No.1 firewall with
award-winning antivirus into one easy-to-use product that protects consumers
against online attacks. The study, The Generation Gap in Computer Security, surveyed 1,245 PC users
across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
All respondents who completed the survey had responsibility for purchasing
and maintaining their personal desktop or laptop computer. Gen Y is defined
as 18- to 25- year olds, and Baby Boomers refers to 56- to 65- year olds. To
access the full report, click here
<http://www.zonealarm.com/products/downloads/whitepapers/generation_gap_rese
arch_2012.pdf> . For the latest updates, follow ZoneAlarm on
<http://www.facebook.com/ZoneAlarmFirewall?sk=wall> Facebook and
<http://twitter.com/#!/zonealarm> Twitter. For security tips on protecting
against the latest social networking risks, visit the ZoneAlarm blog at:
http://blog.zonealarm.com. - 30 - About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com
<http://www.checkpoint.com/> ), the worldwide leader in securing the
Internet, provides customers with uncompromised protection against all types
of threats, reduces security complexity and lowers total cost of ownership.
Check Point first pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented
stateful inspection technology. Today, Check Point continues to develop new
innovations based on the Software Blade Architecture, providing customers
with flexible and simple solutions that can be fully customized to meet the
exact security needs of any organization. Check Point is the only vendor to
go beyond technology and define security as a business process. Check Point
3D Security uniquely combines policy, people and enforcement for greater
protection of information assets and helps organizations implement a
blueprint for security that aligns with business needs. Customers include
tens of thousands of organizations of all sizes, including all Fortune and
Global 100 companies. Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions
protect millions of consumers from hackers, spyware and identity theft. C2012 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.
Gen Y Reported More Security Issues than Baby Boomers but Less Concern TORONTO- June 20, 2012 - Check Point <http://www.checkpoint.com/> R
Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing
the Internet, today announced the results of a new ZoneAlarm
<http://www.zonealarm.com/> report revealing differences in the use of
computer security between Gen Y and Baby Boomers. The report, The Generation
Gap in Computer Security
<http://www.zonealarm.com/products/downloads/whitepapers/generation_gap_rese
arch_2012.pdf> , found that Gen Y is more confident in its security
knowledge than Baby Boomers. However, 50 per cent of Gen Y respondents have
had security issues in the past two years compared to less-than-half of Baby
Boomers. The broad adoption of digital media and social networking, combined with the
increasing amount of sensitive data that is stored online, is making
personal computer security more important than ever before. Yet the
ZoneAlarm study reveals that 78 per cent of Gen Y respondents do not follow
security best practices while cybercriminals are launching new and more
sophisticated attacks on consumers every day. In comparison, Baby Boomers
are more concerned about security and privacy and twice more likely to
protect their computers with additional security software. "Growing up in the digital age, Gen Y may appear to be a more tech-savvy
generation, but that does not translate into safer computer and online
practices," said Paul Comessotti, Canadian Regional Director, Check Point
Software Technologies. "The ZoneAlarm Study reveals that the most at risk
group, and prone to cyber attacks, is Gen Y. That makes this group even more
vulnerable to online security threats." "Gen Y tends to prioritize entertainment and community over security,
perhaps due to overconfidence in their security knowledge. For example,
they're more concerned about gaming or other social activities than their
online security. They also have less sophisticated security software, and
hence, have reported more security problems than other groups, such as Baby
Boomers." Key Findings from the Report: Computer Security Increases in Priority with Age - Only 31 per cent of Gen Y
rank security as the most important consideration when making decision about
their computers in comparison to 58 per cent of Baby Boomers. Gen Y
prioritizes entertainment and community above security. Gen Y is Overconfident in its Security Knowledge - Gen Y (63 per cent)
claims to be more knowledgeable about security when compared to Baby Boomers
(59 per cent). However, half of Gen Y respondents have had security issues
in the past two years in comparison to less than half (42 per cent) of Baby
Boomers. Gen Y has Less Sophisticated Security Due to Cost and Technical Barriers -
Gen Y respondents are less likely to use paid antivirus, 3rd-party
firewalls, or integrated security suites than Baby Boomers. Gen Y (45 per
cent) view security software as too expensive in comparison to Baby Boomers
(37 per cent). Sensitive Data is Stored on Computers, Yet Most Do Not Follow Security Best
Practices - 84 per cent of people keep sensitive data, such as tax records,
financial info, and passwords, on their computers. However, most users (71
per cent), especially Gen Y (78 per cent), do not follow security best
practices. "Financial fraud is one of the main driving factors for cybercriminals these
days. They are targeting consumers and not just looking to hack into one
computer. They seek to use their victims' PCs to spread attacks and
infiltrate a whole community, including family, friends and work," said Bari
Abdul, VP and Head of Check Point's Consumer Business, ZoneAlarm. "Online
attacks spread rapidly now that we're connected more than ever before
through social media. It is imperative that consumers, especially Gen Y,
adopt security best practices, and protect their computers with adequate
security, which includes at a minimum antivirus and a two-way firewall." Check Point protects millions of consumers from viruses, hackers, and
identity theft through its award-winning ZoneAlarm
<http://www.zonealarm.com/> solutions. Most recently, Check Point launched
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall
<http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/zonealarm-free-antivirus-firewall.h
tm> , the most complete free Internet security solution for consumers.
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall combines the world's No.1 firewall with
award-winning antivirus into one easy-to-use product that protects consumers
against online attacks. The study, The Generation Gap in Computer Security, surveyed 1,245 PC users
across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
All respondents who completed the survey had responsibility for purchasing
and maintaining their personal desktop or laptop computer. Gen Y is defined
as 18- to 25- year olds, and Baby Boomers refers to 56- to 65- year olds. To
access the full report, click here
<http://www.zonealarm.com/products/downloads/whitepapers/generation_gap_rese
arch_2012.pdf> . For the latest updates, follow ZoneAlarm on
<http://www.facebook.com/ZoneAlarmFirewall?sk=wall> Facebook and
<http://twitter.com/#!/zonealarm> Twitter. For security tips on protecting
against the latest social networking risks, visit the ZoneAlarm blog at:
http://blog.zonealarm.com. - 30 - About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com
<http://www.checkpoint.com/> ), the worldwide leader in securing the
Internet, provides customers with uncompromised protection against all types
of threats, reduces security complexity and lowers total cost of ownership.
Check Point first pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented
stateful inspection technology. Today, Check Point continues to develop new
innovations based on the Software Blade Architecture, providing customers
with flexible and simple solutions that can be fully customized to meet the
exact security needs of any organization. Check Point is the only vendor to
go beyond technology and define security as a business process. Check Point
3D Security uniquely combines policy, people and enforcement for greater
protection of information assets and helps organizations implement a
blueprint for security that aligns with business needs. Customers include
tens of thousands of organizations of all sizes, including all Fortune and
Global 100 companies. Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions
protect millions of consumers from hackers, spyware and identity theft. C2012 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.