The 2019 Unisys Security Index reveals that among the 13 countries it surveyed, Philippine consumers recorded the highest level of concern over data security and privacy.

The Unisys Index surveyed more than 1,000 consumers in the Philippines, as part of an international study of more than 13,000 people across 13 countries, to determine the public’s concern about various security issues.

Philippine consumers scored higher with 234 out of 300 compared to others in other countries that participated in the survey. According to Unisys, the high score must be because many Filipinos have experienced or have been victims of a data breach. The survey also showed that a high number of Filipinos show concern over other data security issues with 90% seriously concerned about unauthorized access to personal information, 87% seriously concerned about internet hacking or viruses, and 84% seriously concerned about bank card fraud.

Unisys data show that Filipinos also have a high level of awareness in terms of their data privacy rights and have taken action against organizations they hold responsible for not protecting their data against data breaches. Almost a quarter (24%) of those who suffered a data breach say they took legal action, 1 in 5 (21%) stopped dealing with the organization such as closing their account, and 18% exposed the issue on social media.

Filipinos have become more cautious in providing personal data than before. However, responses differ in situations. For example, almost half (49%) of the respondents support the government collecting information to identify who is in the vicinity of a disaster, and yet only 21% support the government monitoring an individual’s travel patterns to plan roads and public infrastructure. More than a third (39%) support airport and airlines collecting the information to efficiently guide a passenger’s journey through an airport, but only 20% support an employer doing the same to monitor an employee’s location during the workday.

Device listening, albeit unproven, has also become a concern for Filipinos. About 64% of Filipinos who own smart devices say they have received social media posts and ads about a topic they had recently talked about aloud, and more than half of people in this group say it concerns them.

Hyperconnectivity is inevitable given the influence of technology in people’s everyday lives. However, it may be a piece of welcome news that people are becoming concerned about guarding their data and that they know their data privacy rights.