Sharp Rise in Concern about Security Issues

News Release

New Zealanders Report Sharp Rise in Concern about Security Issues, but Many Remain Optimistic, Unisys Security Index Finds

• Financial, computer, internet and personal security indices all show increased levels of concern – but Kiwis still relaxed when ranked globally
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• Risk of environmental disaster concerns New Zealanders more today than 10 years ago
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New Zealand has recorded a significant increase in the level of security concern held by the public, according to the latest Unisys Security Index™ released today. Yet, New Zealanders are still relaxed when compared to other countries globally.

Additional research examined whether New Zealanders felt more or less concerned about specific risks than 10 years ago. The survey found that today most Kiwis are more concerned about environmental disaster than in 2001 when the 9/11 terrorist attacks were topical.

The latest Unisys Security Index, a bi-annual study that provides insights into the attitudes of New Zealand consumers on a wide range of security-related issues, found that the overall Unisys Security Index for New Zealand has risen by 40 points to 141 out of a total possible score of 300, with all four indices recording increases:

• Financial security concern up 47 points to 159
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• Internet security concern up 46 points to 141
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• National security concern up 31points to 124
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• Personal security concern up 34 points to 138
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“There is no doubt that recent catastrophic events in New Zealand, as well as a weak economic outlook, have significantly impacted the ‘sense of security’ in the New Zealand community,” said Mr Brett Hodgson, Managing Director, Unisys New Zealand.

“Even so, the Kiwi spirit of optimism and resilience is evident. Despite the comparative increase in the levels of concern since November 2010, New Zealand ranks only eighth out of the twelve countries where the Unisys Security Index is conducted, behind Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, Hong Kong, Germany, the US and the UK. The results also show that the levels of concern for many New Zealanders have not changed since November 2010, which demonstrates a certain community resilience,” he said.

The estimated proportion of New Zealanders surveyed who are extremely or very concerned about the following areas of security in May 2011:
People obtaining/using credit/debit card details: 69% Up 20 percentage points since Nov 2010
Their ability to meet essential financial obligations

40% Up 20 percentage points
Unauthorised access to/misuse of personal information

65% Up 18 percentage points
Computer security in relation to viruses and unsolicited emails

47% Up 18 percentage points
Security of shopping and or banking online

43% Up 17 percentage points
A serious health epidemic

41% Up 16 percentage points
New Zealand’s national security in relation to war or terrorism

32% Up 12 percentage points
Personal safety over the next 6 months 25% Up 12 percentage points

While the results did show increased concern across all areas of security, they also highlight that a large proportion of New Zealanders surveyed hold low levels of concern or aren’t concerned about a number of security areas:

• An estimated 75 percent have low/no concern about their personal safety over the next six months
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• An estimated 68 percent have low/no concern about national security in relation to war or terror
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• An estimated 60 percent have low/no concern about their ability to meet essential financial obligations
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• An estimated 59 percent have low/no concern about the risk of a health epidemic
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10 years on from 9/11 – immediate risks to the individual outweigh concern about terrorism

The latest wave of the Unisys Security Index asked New Zealanders if they were more or less concerned about a range of security issues than they were 10 years ago.

Ten years on from 9/11, the majority of New Zealanders said that their concern about environmental disasters, identity theft and financial fraud has increased over the last 10 years. A much smaller percentage said their concern for terrorist attacks such as airline hijackings or suicide bombings has increased.

The greatest proportion of New Zealanders (73 percent) said the risk of environmental disaster concerns them more than a decade ago. Similarly, 71 percent said they are more concerned about credit card theft, and nearly six out of ten (57 percent) of Kiwis said their concern about companies losing their personal or financial details has increased since 2001.

Conversely, only an estimated 33 percent of New Zealanders said they were more concerned about the threat of a suicide bomb in New Zealand than in 2001, and 41 percent said they were more concerned about an airline hijacking. In fact, for both issues 10 percent of New Zealanders said they were less concerned than ten years ago – the largest proportion of “less concerned” people reported.

“The results reflect that today’s security environment has evolved significantly since the 2001 terror attacks. These dominated the media and social psyche at the time but have been replaced by issues we have faced more recently – both in New Zealand and the wider Asia Pacific region,” explained Mr Hodgson.

“While traditional national security issues clearly remain in the background, it is understandable that more contemporary issues such as identity theft and the earthquakes in Christchurch would have more immediacy for a larger number of New Zealanders.

“The increase in concern may be due to the fact that these issues are more visible in the media today or that larger numbers of New Zealanders are being directly impacted by them. We are a close-knit community, and most of us have either experienced, or know someone who has been touched by, these issues,” Mr Hodgson said.

Estimated proportion of New Zealanders who responded that they were more concerned about the following security issues than they were 10 years ago:
Risk of an environmental disaster 73%
Credit card data being stolen 71%
Companies losing their personal or financial details 57%
Cyber attacks on important national computer networks 53%
Risk to their personal safety 42%
Risk of airline hijackings in New Zealand 41%
Risk of suicide bombs in New Zealand 33%
“These results bode very well in the lead up to New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup in September, as they highlight that New Zealand is a safe nation for both fans and players to travel to,” Mr Hodgson said.

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