News Release

New Zealand Public Sees the Internet as Being Vulnerable to Malicious or Terrorist Attacks, Unisys Security Index finds

Kiwis regard the Internet as being more vulnerable to malicious or terrorist attacks in New Zealand, than airports and airplanes, public gatherings, freight, public transport or key physical infrastructure, according to new research released by Unisys.

The Unisys Security Index™ is a bi-annual national study that provides insights into the attitudes of New Zealand consumers on a wide range of security-related issues. In the latest study respondents were asked about the perceived vulnerability of a broad range of national assets to malicious or terrorist attack.

The study found that almost half of the New Zealand adult population surveyed (48 percent) rate the Internet as very or extremely vulnerable to a malicious or terrorist attack and 42 percent rate airports and airplanes as very or extremely vulnerable.

“While comparatively more people consider the Internet, airports and airlines as vulnerable to attack, it is worth noting that at least one in four New Zealand adults surveyed said large gatherings of people, freight, public transport and vital infrastructure are also extremely or very vulnerable to a malicious or terrorist attack. This indicates there is broad community support for protecting critical national infrastructure assets, ranging from contemporary assets such as the Internet through to more traditional physical infrastructure,” said Brett Hodgson, Managing Director, Unisys New Zealand.

“Public perception may not match reality – these national assets may not be as vulnerable to the same degree that the public perceives them to be. However the results still indicate a level of community support for continued investment to protect important national assets.

“It is important for both government and business to understand the public’s perception as they develop solutions aimed at allaying security concerns within the community,” said Mr Hodgson.

Percentage of New Zealanders who responded that the following places or things are very or extremely vulnerable to a malicious or terrorist attack:
The Internet 48%
Airports & airplanes 42%
Large gatherings of people such as sporting events or office buildings 36%
Vital infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, railways, power/water plants & pipelines 34%
Freight sent by air, sea or land 30%
Public transport such as rail or bus 25%

The results were backed up by the overall Unisys Security Index for New Zealand which rose by 40 points to 141 out of a total possible score of 300, the largest increase recorded in New Zealand since the research was first conducted in 2006. All four indices that make up the overall index (financial, Internet, national and personal security) recorded increases.

Additional research also found that in the ten years since the 9/11 attacks, more New Zealanders said that their concern about environmental disasters, identity theft and financial fraud has increased over the last ten years than those who said that they had increased concern about terrorist attacks such as airline hijackings or suicide bombings in New Zealand.

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%

“The increase in the core index shows that New Zealanders are experiencing a heightened awareness of the potential vulnerabilities we face in this country. While we recognise that we are not immune to malicious or terrorist attacks, right now the public appears to see the greatest overall security risks to be things that most of us have personally experienced. This is reflected in the reported increased concern about environmental disasters, identity theft and financial fraud over the last ten years. This is hardly surprising given the recent spate of natural disasters across New Zealand and the impact they have had on our everyday lives,” explained Mr Hodgson.

About the Unisys Security Index
The Unisys Security Index is a bi-annual global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security related issues. Conducted in New Zealand by market research firm Consumer Link, the Unisys Security Index provides a regular, statistically robust measure gauging levels of concern about various aspects of security. The survey on which the latest New Zealand Unisys Security Index is based, was conducted nationally 1-7 March 2011 by Consumer Link using a national sample* of 510 respondents aged 18 years and over. All results have been post-weighted to Statistics New Zealand census data. The study measures consumer perceptions on a scale of zero to 300, with 300 representing the highest level of perceived concern. For more information on the Unisys Security Index including additional resource material visit: www.unisyssecurityindex.co.nz.
*NOTE: This round of the survey was not fielded in Christchurch out of respect for residents who were focused on recovering from the earthquake that hit the area on 22 February 2011.

About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialise in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilisation of their data centres, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernise their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organisations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

About Unisys Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan and through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region. For more information visit www.unisys.co,nz . Follow us on www.twitter.com/UnisysAPAC.

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Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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