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Consumers Prioritize Protection Over Convenience in McAfee 2022 Trends Survey

By: McAfee via Business Wire

January 14, 2022 at 17:56 PM EST

Individuals and families feel more exposed and ill-equipped to secure their digital lives

U.S. trends to watch in 2022:

While life online is loaded with conveniences, they’re not enough. People want to be secure.
Consumers want a protected connection, even if it costs them.
Gamers will take a pass on so-called “free” videogames.
AI monitoring of healthcare? Not so fast.
Cryptocurrency fraud like the “Squid Game” scam will sour consumer taste for fintech.
Vax cards are the new credit cards, and Americans want them protected.
Online learning and consultations will increasingly take root with consumers—above and beyond COVID necessities.

McAfee’s 2022 Global Trends Study, released today, reveals U.S. consumers’ greater perceived risk of exposure to online threats for individuals and family members, and a corresponding desire to invest in online protection. These findings come as more consumers shift their daily lives online, with greater use of internet banking, more investment in virtual assets, and a proliferation of online activities due to COVID-19.

“Almost every aspect of our lives now intersects the digital world. This requires greater levels of information to be shared with an increasing number of applications and organizations through the Internet. Safeguarding this information requires a combination of strong security architecture of applications along with good user hygiene, such as strong passwords and multi factor authentication,” said McAfee’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman. “The potential loss of sensitive personal information is a major concern for our customers and their families. Our mission is to educate people and provide tools to deliver privacy and protection to enable customers to safely maximize the benefits of our digital world.”

A reoccurring theme throughout the survey was a shift to being fully protected over other benefits such as convenience and cost. This emphasis on strong protection is particularly acute in healthcare, for which 69% of respondents opted to keep their information private and secure, over utilization of new capabilities like AI.

In-depth findings for the top seven trends are available in the country specific factsheets.

Country Fact Sheets

2021 presented unique risks, further increased digital adoption, and shifts around traditional activities online. It is imperative that consumers around the globe take action to keep themselves and their families safe, secure, and protected to best enjoy life online in 2022. For more information on how to stay safe online, visit our blog.

Survey Methodology

McAfee, LLC commissioned MSI-ACI to conduct an online survey about possible shifts in needs, attitudes and actions around online safety. The study spanned 10,000 consumers aged between 20 and 60 years old in multiple countries between November 24 and December 5, 2021. This press release reflects the survey responses received from 1,000 consumers in the U.S. Links to the individual country fact sheets can be found above.

About McAfee

McAfee Corp. (Nasdaq: MCFE) is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on protecting people, not just devices, McAfee consumer solutions adapt to users’ needs in an always online world, empowering them to live securely through integrated, intuitive solutions that protect their families and communities with the right security at the right moment. For more information, please visit https://www.mcafee.com/consumer.