10 Years After 9/11

10 Years After 9/11, Australians Are More Concerned About Identity Theft and Environmental Disasters than Terrorist Attacks, According to Unisys Security Index

Immediate security risks to the individual outweigh concern about terrorism

SYDNEY, 3 May 2011 – Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, new research released by Unisys reveals that Australians today are more concerned about the risks related to identity theft, financial fraud and environmental disasters than the threat of terrorist attacks such as airline hijackings or suicide bombs.

The latest Unisys Security Index™, a bi-annual study that provides insights into consumers’ sense of security, asked Australians if they were more or less concerned about key security issues than they were 10 years ago. The national survey of 1,200 adults was conducted by Newspoll in February 2011.

When asked how their level of security concern compared to 10 years ago, three in four (an estimated 76 percent) Australians said they were more concerned today about credit card data being stolen, and two in three (an estimated 66 percent) were more concerned today about the risk of an environmental disaster. Conversely, only an estimated 51 percent of Australians said they were more concerned today than 10 years ago about the threat of a suicide bomb in Australia.

“The results reflect that today’s security environment has evolved significantly since the 2001 terror attacks, which dominated the media and social psyche at the time,” explained John Kendall, Security Program Director, Unisys Asia Pacific. “While traditional national security issues clearly remain in the background, more contemporary issues such as identity theft and environmental concerns today have a greater potential immediacy for larger numbers of Australians. This may be due to the fact that these issues are more visible in the media today, or that larger numbers of Australians are being directly impacted them, or a combination of both.”

Australians slightly less concerned than six months ago

The overall Unisys Security Index for the first half of 2011 found that Australians are slightly less concerned than they were at the end of 2010, with the Index falling four points to 111 out of 300 since the Unisys survey was taken in November.

The greatest decline occurred in the area of internet security, where the index score fell by eight points to 103 out of 300, largely driven by a 5 percentage point fall in concern about computer security in relation to viruses and unsolicited emails.

Level of concern 2001 vs. 2011 – financial fraud and environmental risks top the agenda now

When asked if they were more or less concerned today about key security issues than they were in 2001, Australians responded that financial fraud and environmental disasters concern them more in 2011. Compared to 10 years ago, an estimated:

76 percent of Australians are more concerned about credit card data being stolen

66 percent are more concerned about the risk of an environmental disaster

59 percent are more concerned about companies losing their personal or financial details

56 percent are more concerned about cyber attacks on important national computer networks

51 percent are more concerned about the risk of suicide bombs in Australia

42 percent are more concerned about the risk of airline hijackings

38 percent are more concerned about the risk to their personal safety

“These results point to security risks encountered as part of daily life, such as credit card security, as being of increased concern to Australians,” said Mr Kendall.

Only a minority of those surveyed reported that their level of concern about security issues had fallen in the decade since 2001. An estimated:

3 percent are less concerned about credit card data being stolen

3 percent are less concerned about the risk of an environmental disaster

5 percent are less concerned about companies losing personal or financial details

5 percent are less concerned about cyber attacks on important national computer networks

7 percent are less concerned about the risk of suicide bombs in Australia

8 percent are less concerned about their own personal safety

10 percent are less concerned about airline hijackings

“As we approach the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, this national snapshot of concern shows that while national security issues such as terrorism remain on the agenda, Aussies have become more concerned about issues they feel likely to experience as an individual in Australia – namely financial fraud, identity theft and environmental disaster,” said Mr Kendall.

About the Unisys Security Index

The Unisys Security Index is a bi-annual global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security related issues. Conducted in Australia by market research firm Newspoll, the Unisys Security Index provides a regular, statistically robust measure gauging levels of concern about various aspects of security. The current Australian Unisys Security Index survey was conducted nationally between 25-27 February 2011 by Newspoll using a nationally representative sample of 1,200 respondents aged 18 years and over. All results have been post-weighted to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The study measures consumer perceptions on a scale of zero to 300, with 300 representing the highest level of perceived concern. For more information on the Unisys Security Index including additional resource material visit: www.unisyssecurityindex.com.au.

About Unisys

Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialise in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilisation of their data centres, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernise their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organisations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

About UnisysAsia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan and through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region. For more information visit www.unisys.com.au. Follow us on www.twitter.com/UnisysAPAC.

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