More Americans Want Their Own Website, But Few Understand Internet Security

  A Google Registry survey in conjunction with Harris Poll surveyed 1,002 adults aged 16-24 and 1,001 adults over 25 living in the United States has found some contradictory results. Around 48 percent of respondents planned to create a website in the future. However, of those same surveyed, around 42 percent did not know the difference between HTTP and HTTPS protocols in a web address.

Internet Security

Out of the ‘security’ portion of the survey, 97 percent got at least one question wrong of the six-question test, while only 23 percent were able to answer https as being the most secure. Despite the fact that 89 out of the top 100 websites now default to HTTPS, less than a quarter of respondents knew HTTPS was the most secure option. The Google poll was done to gauge the general American sentiments on internet security, especially among those who plan to build their own websites. Google has been actively pushing to make HTTPs the standard everywhere. However, it seems that the consumer understanding of HTTPS is still lacking significantly.

Low Levels of Technology Literacy

Centuries ago, the prime focus among liberal reformers was increasing the literacy rate. However, now we are in an altogether different predicament — we need to boost the technology literacy rate. This means that consumers need to be educated on security, how the internet works, and emerging technologies. That fact that only 23 percent of Americans can clearly define HTTPS as being the most secure is troubling. We can thus only imagine how low the ceiling is regarding the public’s understanding of emerging technologies like distributed ledger technology — commonly called ‘the blockchain.’

The Need for Intuitive Blockchain Solutions

When creating cryptocurrency wallets and pushing for adoption, the limits of current consumers’ tech literacy has to be kept in mind. Repeatedly, studies have demonstrated the public’s limited knowledge of security. Given this dismal fact, can we really expect the masses to go through the convoluted process of ‘securing’ their own wallets with private keys? Security has to be intuitive to work. A fingerprint scan, for example, is intuitive. For the blockchain space, a complicated private key and going through multiple channels to purchase or use cryptocurrencies is not. This demonstrates the increased need to keep current tech literacy in mind when developing blockchain-based networks. Do you believe the current low levels of understanding when it comes to digital security is troubling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.