{"id":42979,"date":"2015-04-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=42979"},"modified":"2025-08-31T22:47:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T05:47:57","slug":"benefits-vs-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/benefits-vs-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Millennials Choose Convenience Over Security When it Comes to Information Sharing"},"content":{"rendered":"

For better or for worse, we\u2019ve ended up amidst a society built on information sharing. There are a number of apps and sites that not only allow\u2014but encourage you to disperse inherently personal details.<\/p>\n

In some cases, information that you traditionally would have wanted to keep private (such as a financial transaction) is shared easily and publicly among friends, all through a mobile app. And at what cost?<\/p>\n

There is a price to pay for convenience, which can be seen through the numerous mobile apps that make headlines due to their lax security. The latest to be inducted into this group was a mobile peer-to-peer payment app whose security policies left something to be desired.<\/p>\n

While swapping digital money amongst peers was as easy as posting a Facebook update, the app lacked some basic security measures such as: neglecting to notify users of changes to their account settings (like changes to the primary email address or password), two-factor authentication<\/a>, and monitoring of how other services, like Twitter, securely communicated with it.<\/p>\n

Despite all of this, however, the mobile app continues to be incredibly popular\u2014especially among millennials.<\/p>\n

Why, you ask? Well the answer is almost too simple. Mainly, it\u2019s all about convenience.<\/p>\n

Too often, the services we use on our digital devices (apps, email, text and more) are compromised in a momentary lapse of security. Usernames are noted, passwords are stolen, recorded and used by those with harmful intentions\u2014and users are forced to undergo the aggravating ritual of crafting new passwords while monitoring bank accounts with a worried eye.<\/p>\n

But as it appears, this speed bump in the protection of our personal data isn\u2019t enough to ignite a change in our behavior.<\/p>\n

A recent Information Systems Audit and Control Association survey found that roughly 38% of millennials in the United States assume their accounts will be hacked<\/a> for malicious purposes.<\/p>\n

Even more concerning is that 70%<\/a> of consumers said that they felt the benefits of digital devices outweigh the security risks. Meaning, a large number of users know the services and devices they employ may compromise their security<\/a>, but continue to use them regardless.<\/p>\n

Tips to Avoid Security Risks<\/h2>\n

So if you too fall into that group, and likely most do, then it\u2019s best you follow a few security precautions to minimize your chance of having your information compromised:<\/p>\n