Americans are very comfortable using smartphones to track the whereabouts of family members, and some are willing to track family members who don’t know they are being monitored. A new survey from Opinion Matters found that more than half of respondents would use location-based services on mobile phones to help make sure their children were safe, 31% would use it to see where their teen was on a Friday night, and 12% would use it to monitor their spouse’s whereabouts.
Opinion Matters conducted the survey on behalf of web and mobile security provider GFI Software. The company released the survey in coordination with the launch of its new
GFI VIPRE Mobile Security Premium in the Google Play store. The app combines anti-virus technology with location tracking and automatic backup.
Automatically backing up a device’s data on a remote server is a feature that many users may not appreciate until they need it. According to the survey, one in three respondents believed that either their service provider or their phone’s manufacturer was backing up their data for them.
Identity theft is not a major concern for most smartphone users, according to the survey. Respondents said that if their smartphone were lost or stolen, they would be more concerned about buying a new one, replacing contact lists, and losing photos than they would be about identity theft. Identity theft ranked only fourth among the key concerns respondents would have if their phone was lost or stolen.
Also today, TIA (The Telecommunications Industry Association) released its Cybersecurity Recommendations, urging Congress to invest in critical infrastructure that supports cybersecurity.
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