According to Parks Associates, cybersecurity remains top-of-mind for U.S. consumers. The research house says nearly half of U.S. broadband households are very concerned about the security of their connected devices and personal data, and nearly 75% want to keep tight control over their personal data. Parks believes cybersecurity represents an opportunity for service providers.
"Operators are transitioning their business models from narrow consumer cases of providing broadband, video, and voice to operating as comprehensive media and technology entities," said Glenn Hower, Parks senior analyst. "In addition, operators are expanding their definition of security from preventing content piracy to securing big data streams and protecting consumer privacy."
By addressing consumer concerns and allaying fears, operators have the opportunity to be leaders in a data-driven economy and set the standard for being good stewards of consumers' personal data, Parks says.
"The rise of the software economy has given operators the ability to collect more information and data than ever before, including customer data, network quality and traffic data, and content asset-specific data," Hower said. "Consumers are aware and wary of the massive and ongoing data collection efforts online."
Other findings indicate:
- 24% of consumers agree that they receive a lot in return for sharing access to their data, while the majority do not believe they receive a lot in return.
- Only 23% of broadband consumers ranked a pay TV provider as one of their three most trustworthy companies, and only 5% indicate a pay TV provider as the most trustworthy company.
