We all can make some pretty rash decisions
under stress. I once burned a hole through my undershirt instead of ironing my button-down
shirt because I was so nervous before a presentation.
The Internet has its challenges and sometimes can
seem like a scary place. In the 2019 survey, the CIGI-Ipsos
Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust, 62% of
respondents who said they distrust the Internet cited a lack of Internet
security as a reason why.
When it comes to facing challenges on the
Internet, everyone, from average Internet users to government officials, tends
to act the same way I do before presentations – frantically and with
questionable results.
In pursuit of security, some governments are making decisions
that could harm the Internet as we know it. They’ve taken actions that could weaken digital security, have the potential to fracture the Internet, and some have even shut the Internet down in their
country. Like burning a hole through an undershirt
and having to wear a wrinkled button-down shirt to a presentation, these
actions do little, and make things worse.
The survey results highlighted in our report, “The State of User Privacy and Trust Online,” tell a similar story about average users.
Acting in response to their distrust of the
Internet, 18% said they were making fewer online purchases and 13% were using
the Internet less often. A full 49% said they were sharing less personal
information online. I understand sharing less personal information, for
instance, I don’t want everyone to know all of the mundane details of my life. Yet, self-censoring
yourself online or using the Internet less, whether for online purchases or in
general, can be limiting. It is much more convenient to be able to buy new
undershirts online, without having to worry about my credit card being stolen.
Despite being one of the best tools people can
use to protect themselves online, only 19% said they were using more encryption
or other privacy and security-enhancing tools. Encryption helps us get
data to whom we want and without anyone else seeing or messing with it along
the way.
How can we get more people to turn to
encryption to better protect themselves online?
- Make
it easier to use. More companies need to build end-to-end
encryption into their services, turn it on by default and make it easy to use.
After my ironing fiasco, I did the same thing and bought a few of those
“wrinkle-free” button-down shirts. - Stand
up for encryption. When governments try to weaken encryption
technologies to facilitate government access, they put the security of all of
us at greater risk. Can you imagine if the only irons we were allowed to have
were hard-set to a low temperature? No one would have unwrinkled shirts –
except those with black market irons. - Teach
others about encryption. Teaching others the value of encryption and how
to use encrypted services is a crucial step towards a safer Internet. My
parents taught me the value of an unwrinkled dress shirt and how to get there.
While I’ve not always been so successful when
it comes to ironing shirts, I still have the tools, both in the iron, the
“wrinkle-free” shirts, and the know-how for success. Everyday users need the
same for encryption. Only then can we move away from less effective security
and towards a safer Internet.
Check out our report, The State of User Privacy and Trust Online, and take these 5 steps to make sure you’re as secure as you can be!
Ipsos conducted the 5th annual CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust on behalf of the Canadian think tank the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in partnership with the Internet Society (ISOC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The findings are a result of more than 25,000 interviews with Internet users in 25 economies on issues related to Internet security and trust.
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