Average consumer has $US37k of unprotected 'digital assets'

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 11:37

Your IT - Home IT

According to Intel's IT security subsidiary, McAfee, the average consumer - worldwide - has digital assets across multiple digital devices valued at $US37k, but more than a third lack protection across all of those devices. In the US, the average value was $US55k, and in Australia just $US21k.

McAfee said: "Research firm MSI International surveyed more than 3,000 consumers in 10 countries about the financial value they would assign to digital assets such as photo libraries, personal information and entertainment files, as well as their attitudes toward protecting them across computers, tablets and smartphones'¦

"As a global average, respondents had 2,777 digital files stored on at least one digital device, at a total value of $US37,438. These assets included: entertainment files (ie music downloads), personal memories (ie photographs), personal communications, (ie emails or notes), personal records (ie health, financial, insurance), career information (ie resumes, portfolios, cover letters, email contacts) and hobbies and creative projects. 27 percent of those assets were considered 'impossible to restore' if lost and not backed up properly, and had an average value of $US10,014."

McAfee said that 38 percent of Australian respondents to its survey were not securing all of their devices, citing cost as one of the main reasons for not purchasing additional security protection and 27 percent now own at least five devices per household, and 64 percent own at least three.

Monica Kelly, director for consumer, small business and mobile, McAfee ANZ, said: "This is the type of material we need to safeguard most, however many Australians risk losing this information by failing to adequately protect their digital devices."

Perhaps not surprisingly the survey results were revealed to co-incide with McAfee's announcement of "the industry's first cross-device security solution for individuals and families that empowers them to protect their Internet-connected devices quickly, easily, and cost-effectively'¦McAfee All Access."

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