Miscellaneous 3 min. read

Travelers Worry More About Safe Internet Access to Social Media Than Finances, According to Survey by AnchorFree

Travelers Worry More About Safe Internet Access to Social Media Than Finances,  According to Survey by AnchorFree

New Survey Reveals U.S. Travelers’ Security and Privacy Habits with Smartphone and Internet Use During the Holiday Season

 

MENLO PARK, Calif., — DECEMBER 15, 2016 — New data released by AnchorFree today reveals how mindful U.S. travelers are about security and privacy of their smartphones and internet use. The survey found that travelers are 83 percent more likely to want safe and secure access to social media apps than their finances online when traveling this holiday season.

 

The new infographic, “Holiday Travel Packing List: Secure Access to Social Media” [LINK] was released today by AnchorFree, the global leader in consumer security, privacy and internet freedom.

anchorfree-holiday-travel-infographic1

 

AnchorFree surveyed over 3,000 U.S. users of its Hotspot Shield personal VPN app about domestic and international travel during the holidays, exploring the security and privacy of travelers’ smartphones and internet use. The survey found that to avoid misplacing, losing or theft of a mobile device, 80 percent keep it as close to them as possible – either in their pocket or their hand. Yet, 40 percent of travelers hand their phone to someone else, even a stranger, to take photo or get some kind of assistance like getting directions. The biggest threat to travelers is the theft of personal data while accessing social networks and other sites or apps on public Wi-Fi. 70% of Travelers use public Wi-Fi according to the AnchorFree survey. Wi-Fi at airports, café’s, and on planes is most subject to hacking.

 

“The holidays are a peak time for travel, and when people pack their smartphone or laptop, their personal, private information travels with them,” said David Gorodyansky, founder and CEO of AnchorFree. “Our survey found that people are being cautious about protecting their digital lives – specifically when it comes to personal interactions and sensitive data. When traveling, people can take basic, important steps to secure their devices and information like changing passwords, using Hotspot Shield for Wi-Fi security and privacy and simply not letting your smartphone out of your sight.”

 

Additional key findings include:

  • Nearly 85% of travelers access the internet on their smartphones when traveling during the holidays
  • Travelers are 63% more likely to use Wi-Fi (public, paid or private) than their cellular data: about 70% use Wi-Fi of some sort, while just over a quarter (26%) use cellular data
  • Travelers are 98% more likely to want safe and secure access to social media than secure access to a travel/airline app, even while traveling

 

For more information on the survey key findings, download the infographic [LINK].

 

About AnchorFree

AnchorFree’s mission is to provide secure access to the world’s information for every person on the planet. AnchorFree’s Hotspot Shield application is the world’s largest Internet freedom and personal privacy platform and the biggest disrupter of Internet censorship. Downloaded by hundreds of millions of users across mobile devices and computers; Hotspot Shield is the starting point, for mobile and Web access, making all applications and websites secure, private and accessible.

Funded by $63 million from Goldman Sachs, and other blue chip investors, AnchorFree is focused on bringing online privacy and freedom to the next billion Internet users. AnchorFree is growing by 6 million new downloads of Hotspot Shield per month and is on track to reach 1 billion user downloads in the coming years.

 

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