[Spain] New Utimaco research finds wide regional disparities in consumer confidence in digital security

• Today's societies are increasingly digitally connected: 66% of the world's population owns mobile devices and 38% of respondents use smart devices.
• However, 36% of respondents have been the victim of data loss, identity theft or digital fraud.
• The new edition of the "Circles of Trust" series, a new whitepaper from cybersecurity experts Utimaco, finds significant differences between regions in terms of confidence in their digital security.

Aachen, Germany, July 11, 2023 - Utimaco, a leading global provider of IT security solutions celebrating its 40th year as a pioneer in trusted cybersecurity and compliance solutions and services for customers around the world, has released a new whitepaper, "Circles of Trust 2023: Exploring Consumer Trust in the Digital Society”, which takes an in-depth look at how consumers view trust in an increasingly digitized world.

Whereas just a few decades ago the Internet was something that could only be accessed from large, immobile personal computers, today it is everywhere. Digital connections are not just on the mobile devices owned by 66% of the world's population - they are on the streets, in vehicles, in traffic systems and in dozens of places in our homes. Consumers don't just need to trust their bank to keep their money and data safe: they need to trust that there are no privacy vulnerabilities in their light bulbs.

In light of this, Utimaco published its first edition of the Circles of Trust series in 2022 focusing on a sample from the United Kingdom (UK), Spain and Germany, covering key sectors from automotive cybersecurity to public and healthcare to uncover consumers' perceptions of the digital services they use on a daily basis. The research found a central contradiction of digital life: consumers were highly enthusiastic about digital offerings, from connected vehicles to digital health services, but equally wary of the security risks around these digital services.

This year's research found that this central contradiction remains, but by expanding the geographic scope to the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Singapore, Utimaco has deepened its understanding of trust in digital life. The new research analyzed and focused on banking, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities and found the following key points across the globe:

• Only 19% of respondents are not concerned about the security of their data.
• 36% of respondents have been victims of data loss, identity theft or digital fraud.
• 41% of respondents believe that a connected world would make their daily lives easier.

Spain, along with Mexico, is the country most concerned about the security of its data. Although digital fraud has increased by 13% in Spain over the last year, it is still one of the safest countries in the world (102nd in the world ranking).

This perspective should encourage all types of organizations (government, banking...) to invest and focus more on robust encryption systems that offer protection and security to their customers/users' data. This will generate more trust and will position your brand as your customers will not feel that they can be victims of fraud.

Spaniards are the most confident and committed to digital payments, with wallets and mobile payments being their preferred methods. Unlike Germany, we do not see such a strong predisposition towards cash.

They see phishing as one of the greatest dangers to the security of their critical assets (money and data).

After Mexicans, Spaniards claim to be the most knowledgeable about the term IoT, while being the biggest users of devices linked to the digital home.

Like Mexicans, they are concerned about the security of the data managed by the manufacturers of these devices. However, Spaniards do not believe that the data linked to their identity and that of their digital home can be easily stolen and exposed, and therefore the importance of securing these processes and avoiding fraud should be emphasized.

Although neither Spaniards nor Mexicans know how to define the concept of smart city very well, from Spain they value its contribution to energy management and sustainability. In addition, a large percentage believe that it will help to a more agile and effective relationship with the Public Administration.

In short, like Mexicans, Spaniards see the smart city as synonymous with a safe city that will make their lives easier.

"We pride ourselves on driving the conversation around digital trust. At Utimaco, we see our role as not only creating hardware and software that provide the 'root of trust in a digital world,' but also communicating to our customers the social context of that technology. In short, every security system in the world will be more effective if end users know and trust that they are," says Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Utimaco. "We see the Circles of Trust research series as a vital tool for testing the temperature of digital trust around the world, and an invaluable resource for any company working on an international scale."

The latest edition of the "Circles of Trust" is published in the same year that Utimaco celebrates its 40th anniversary as a pioneer in trusted cybersecurity and compliance solutions and services for customers around the world.

To download your copy of "Circles of Trust 2023: Exploring Consumer Trust in the Digital Society," visit: https://utimaco.com/survey-how-trust-works-digital-world