Security community not equipped to protect next 2.5bn web users’ privacy

The security community needs to create new tools to help smart device users know and control what data they are sharing with companies and governments, according to the new chief executive of AVG, Gary Kovacs.

He made the claim during a press briefing attended by V3. Kovacs said security companies have failed to keep pace with the rapid growth in use of smart devices and the subsequent change in web behaviour.

“The fundamental change happened around five years ago and instead of just seeking information on the internet, we began seeking connections with each other,” he said.

“We are sharing more of our lives online; our financial data, our friends, our social circles, pictures of our family, pictures of ourselves. This is not just on Facebook but in many different places. So the risk to our data, to our security, to our privacy has never been higher.”

AVG chief technology officer Yuval Ben-Itzhak added that the news is troubling as the rapid growth has left many individuals unsure what data they are sharing, leaving them vulnerable to unscrupulous companies and individuals eager to collect the information.

SOURCE: v3.co.uk