OTTAWA — The vast majority of Canadians are concerned about potential cyberattacks against organizations with access to their personal data and are equally worried that businesses willingly share their personal data with third parties without their consent. That’s according to a new report from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), based on a survey of more than 1,200 Canadian Internet users in December 2018.
According to CIRA’s research, 87% of survey respondents are concerned that organizations with access to their personal data will experience a cyberattack. Only 19% of those surveyed said they would continue to do business with an organization if their personal data were exposed in a cyberattack. In addition, 78% of survey respondents said they are concerned about potential security threats related to the Internet of Things.
When it comes to concerns about privacy, 87% of those surveyed by CIRA said they are worried that businesses with access to customers’ personal data willingly share it with third parties without consent. However, 72% of survey respondents said they are willing to disclose some or a little personal information in exchange for a valuable or convenient service. Still, 86% of those surveyed said they believe it is important that government data, including the personal information of Canadians, be stored and transmitted in Canada only.
As part of its survey, CIRA also gauged the level of concern among Canadians regarding fake news and the spread of misinformation on social media. According to its survey, CIRA found 75% of respondents said they come across fake news at least sometimes, with 57% admitting they have been taken in by a fake news item.
Given the questions around the influence of fake news on the 2016 U.S. presidential election, many Canadians surveyed by CIRA expressed concern regarding the potential impact of fake news on the upcoming Canadian federal election. In fact, 70% of survey respondents said they are concerned fake news could impact the outcome of the next federal election.
CIRA also asked survey respondents for their opinions about Internet access and governance. According to the survey results, 69% believe the high cost of Internet services, including for mobile data, is hurting Canada’s economy and prosperity. In addition, 83% said they believe that universal access to high-speed Internet is important for Canada’s overall economic growth and prosperity, and 70% agreed that the Canadian government should be doing more to support public access to high-speed Internet.
In terms of Internet governance, 75% of survey respondents said they know only a little or hardly anything about the topic of global control and regulation of the Internet. However, 66% said they support the principles of net neutrality, and 50% said they are concerned that the global Internet could fracture into regional blocks that adopt very different regulatory principles and policies.
“With the rise of misinformation online and threats to digital privacy and cybersecurity, Canadians are demanding more of government, industry and others when it comes to Canada’s Internet,” CIRA CEO Byron Holland said in a news release announcing the survey results. “The question that remains is how best to give Canadians what they want, while maintaining the open, interoperable Internet that has become ubiquitous in the lives of most Canadians.”
CIRA’s chief security officer, Jacques Latour, said in the news release that there are some basic actions that can be taken to increase Canadians’ privacy and security online.
“Canadian businesses must learn and follow privacy laws and make cybersecurity a priority. Governments must invest and participate in local infrastructure such as Canadian Internet exchange points to keep data local, and Canadians must learn to spot and avoid personal cyber threats such as phishing emails,” Latour said.
With a federal election around the corner, fakes news is a real concern to Canadians, said David Fowler, CIRA’s vice-president of marketing and communications and vice-chair of MediaSmarts’ board of directors.
“Canadians see social media companies, the government and journalists as key players to halt misinformation online. But citizens themselves have a role to play and increased investments in media literacy will help Canadians spot fake news and thereby thwart its influence,” Fowler said.
To read CIRA’s full report, click here.
