The new Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report 2013 from Ofcom shows that most UK smartphone owners have adopted security for their devices, with 75% using a screen lock and 50% having a SIM PIN. Non-smartphone users are less security conscious; just 40% have a screen lock and only 20% protect their SIM card with a PIN code.
WiFi protection has been adopted by 62% of adults; up from 52% in 2011.
However, other aspects of online security are more lax. 55% of adult internet users in the UK said they used the same password for most websites, while 26% used easy-to-remember passwords such as birthdays or names.
James Thickett, Ofcom’s Director of Research, said “While our research shows that some people are still taking security risks online, they clearly feel these are outweighed by the benefits that the internet brings. We are seeing more and more adults turning to the internet for information and as a way of keeping in touch.”