People increasingly trust machines more than humans to manage cyber-security
Some people have begun trusting machines more than humans when it comes to cyber-security, or so says a global research, but most still have doubts.
More than a quarter of the 10,000 respondents to a global survey said they would rather have their cyber-security being managed by artificial intelligence than human operatives. This begs the question of whether they actually understand the role that both play when it comes to protecting their data.
Thestudy, commissioned by Palo Alto Networks and conducted by YouGov along with input from Dr Jessica Barker, found that when it came to confidence in the AI approach, the responses varied across geographies. Italy stood first in choosing AI, with over 38 percent positive response, while the UK was rather reserved, with just 21 percent of respondents in favour.
Nearly a third (29 percent) of those who preferred the idea of AI security management said such security methods had a “very positive” impact on their online experiences and expectations. Compared to this, just 20 percent amongst those against the AI’s role felt the same level of confidence in human-managed security systems.
Far too many people appear to have a misplaced trust in security, said the study. A total of 38 percent thought smart home devices and wearables were secure. In the UK, this number rose to 46 percent when talking about confidence in IoT security, and a remarkably worrying 71 percent in the UAE.
In a reassuring trend, 54 percent of respondents took responsibility for the security of their own personal data when online. Among them, the younger demographic (18-24) were far less willing to do so (43 percent) than the 55+ age group (58 percent).
“The older generation are more likely to have been exposed to cyber-security training and practices in the work environment, and this could have influenced their mindset to be more security conscious,” said research lead Dr Jessica Barker.
