Shopping convenience overrides security concerns

Tripwire announced the results of a survey on mobile security and holiday shopping. The survey was conducted by Dimensional Research and OnePoll from November 18-20, 2013, and evaluated the attitudes of 1,400 consumers in the U.S. and U.K.

Mobile shopping is expected to increase dramatically this holiday season. Digital measurement company comScore announced that mobile commerce spending on smartphones and tablets in the U.S. increased $5.8 billion in Q3 – a 26 percent increase over Q3 2012. Yet, during the same time period, mobile malware threats also increased 26 percent, making consumers more vulnerable to mobile attacks than ever before.

Ninety-one percent of U.S. and 83 percent of U.K. respondents believe that shopping on a computer provides more security than shopping on a mobile phone. Fifty-nine percent of U.S. respondents and 65 percent of U.K. respondents said they do not have any security software on their mobile phone. Despite mobile malware concerns, many plan to use their mobile phones for holiday shopping.

Key U.S. findings include:

• Respondents from wealthier households are three times more likely to shop for the holidays using their mobile devices.
• Male respondents are 50 percent more likely than female respondents to shop on their mobile devices at work.
• Respondents from wealthier households are seven times more likely to say there is no maximum price for items they would purchase with their mobile device.
• 50 percent more men than women say the convenience of mobile shopping overrides security concerns.

“Shopping on mobile devices is all about convenience, and it is clear from the data that consumers are quite willing to forgo security for that convenience,” said Dwayne Melancon, CTO for Tripwire.

“The survey also seems to confirm the stereotype that men do not like to shop and will go out of their way to avoid shopping malls. It is also not surprising that affluent households are more likely to shop on mobile devices this holiday season; after all, they will have more discretionary income to spend and typically place a higher value on the convenience of shopping online,” Melancon added.