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Global Research by A10 Networks Spotlights Importance of Apps in Daily Life and the Potential Behavioral Risks to Personal, Corporate SecurityBENGALURU, May 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A10 Networks (News - Alert)' Application Intelligence Report reveals that apps are embedded in the global workforce's life more than ever, but security is not always top priority and acceptance of getting hacked is growing The prominence of apps is rapidly increasing in everyday life, with users treating them as important as eating, drinking, sunlight or being with family. According to the results of A10 Networks' Application Intelligence Report (AIR), work and personal apps are so integral in daily life, that many in the global workforce believe it is impossible and physically uncomfortable to live without them, comparing them in importance to basic daily nourishment like eating, breathing and socializing. AIR takes a unique, easy-to-understand approach to examine the human and cultural side of technology trends - specifically, the interaction with applications and the growing security implications that result personally and for businesses and their IT organizations. Based on research involving more than 2,000 businesses and IT professionals at companies from various industries around the world - including India, AIR addresses the rise in use and significance of apps in everybody's 'blended lives,' in which lines blur between how the global workforce manages work and personal business through use of apps at home, in the office and anywhere in between. The research was conducted in 10 countries, representing some of the world's largest economies and fastest growing populations of technology adopters: Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Key findings include: Apps - digital oxygen sustaining daily life: - Apps as a basic human necessity: Half (50%) of all global respondents consider apps to be as, or almost as important as breathing, eating and drinking. - Evolution of 'digital' DNA: More than four out of five people surveyed globally, consider apps integral to their personal lives. India ranked second-highest (behind China) as a country that found it most difficult to live without apps, with 97 percent of the Indians surveyed, citing they could either not live without apps - or it would be difficult to do so. In fact, access to apps was almost as important as access to water in India. This raises questions about how applications have evolved to the point where 'they are now part of the users' DNA.' - Give me apps or give me darkness: The survey also found that access to apps on a smartphone was equally as important as the ability to have access to sunlight or outdoor exposure. In fact, India at 68 percent had the highest percentage of respondents who claimed apps to be as significant - or nearly so - as air, food, water and shelter. - In an emergency: More respondents (45%) would grab their smartphone on the way out of their homes - if given the choice of only taking one tem - over a safe with important documents (36%), their personal photo albums (12%), or a desktop or laptop (7%). - The weakest link - Mobile Phones or IoT Devices? Laptops are perceived as more vulnerable than mobile phones, when compared to a list that also includes IoT devices, like surveillance cameras, smart TVs and Internet-enabled cars - all of which, to many respondents, are unknowingly vulnerable as well. On the mobile phone front, Indians lose their mobile devices almost twice as much as the global average, thereby increasing the vulnerability quotient. Leave one's house or phone unlocked? More participants would rather leave their house unlocked for a whole day than leave their unlocked phone on a park bench for an hour, with 52% choosing the former. Attitudes toward app use and security: - Security a consideration - But only at first : Although over four out of five people surveyed (83%) either agree or strongly agree that they think about security risks when first downloading an app, after that, security becomes much less of a concern, ranking behind performance (32%) and ease of use (24%). - Taking risks: Even though they think app developers may not have security as their top concern - or have the proficiency to build secure apps at all - people still download apps and take their chances, as nearly half (47%) still expect to be protected from cyber attacks by either their company or third-party app developers. - App apathy: The survey found a growing acceptance of the inevitability of getting hacked, as nearly one in three (29%) feel cyber attacks 'are a fact of life,' and one in five (21%) 'just try not to think about it.' - Security and work apps: Roughly one in three (32%) surveyed think about security concerns when using personal apps. For business apps, security is even less of a thought, as fewer than one in five (17%) surveyed cite security as a top thought when using them. Cybersecurity behavior and threats: - Identity theft - the new rite of passage: More than one in 10 respondents (13%) say they have been a victim of identity theft. And by a wide margin, the younger the generation, the more likely the person is to be a victim of identity theft: Nearly one in five (19%) in their 20s reported having their identity stolen globally, while only 2% of those older than 50 cited the same. This finding raises questions about how many people do not know they have been victimized. - Getting hacked: One in five (20%) respondents has had their mobile device or computer hacked. Almost one in three under 30 (31%) has been hacked - Digital theft is the new reality: Nearly three out of five users surveyed (59%) think having their mobile device hacked and personal information stolen is more realistic than having their car broken into or their home burglarized. - Careless digital behavior: Younger generations are also more careless with their personal devices, as one in three (34%) under 30 years old have lost their mobile device or computer, and one in four (24%) have had their mobile device stolen at least once. - Passwords: One in 10 (11%) surveyed said they never change their passwords for their mobile apps, while another three out of 10 users surveyed (29%) use the same password for the majority of their apps. Executive quote: Neil Wu Becker, VP Marketing, A10 Networks 'Understanding the dependency on apps in our lives raises questions about the diligence we apply to protecting our personal information. This is important when considering use of personal and work apps with work-issued devices on corporate networks in the workplace. AIR's insight into behavioral tendencies with apps and the impact on personal and business risk is a topic that is not addressed enough. As a security vendor, we see a need to increase the volume on factoring in human behavior with technology investments. After all, the greatest security technology can be undermined by negligent behavior, and we want to help our customers protect their solution investments, businesses, and employees.' About the A10 Application Intelligence Report (AIR) The Application Intelligence Report (AIR) is a global research project that examines the behavior and attitudes of the global workforce toward the use of business and personal apps, and their impact on risk, security, and corporate culture. AIR was commissioned by A10 Networks and conducted independently by strategic research firm Provoke Insights. It involves more than 2,000 business and IT professionals in 10 countries, with the intent to provide education for employers that can help them reassess corporate policies and ultimately protect their businesses - and their applications - by simply becoming more aware of the behavior of their employees. About A10 Networks A10 Networks (NYSE: ATEN (News - Alert)) is a Secure Application Services™ company, providing a range of high-performance application networking solutions that help organizations ensure that their data center applications and networks remain highly available, accelerated and secure. Founded in 2004, A10 Networks is based in San Jose, Calif., and serves customers globally with offices worldwide. For more information, visit: http://www.a10networks.com and @A10Networks. The A10 logo, A10 Networks, A10 Harmony, Thunder and A10 Lightning and Secure Application Services are trademarks or registered trademarks of A10 Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. 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