Manie van Schalkwyk, the head of the SA Fraud Prevention Service, is concerned about data and the security issues that pertain to it.
For those who grew up in the digital age, some with exposure from the age of 4, the digital universe is a comfortable place and issues of trust do not carry the same concerns for them as they might for their parents’ generation, he said.
According to a Gallup poll, Larry Alton said, millennials have more trust in institutions that guard their personal data.
“Millennials have higher trust in almost every category, including banks, health insurance companies, credit card companies, cell-phone companies, email providers, and brick-and-mortar retailers,” he said.
Also, millennials appreciate online targeting that serves their needs in preference to “spamming” that has no relevance, Van Schalkwyk adds.
“They’re aware of the risks of having data stored online, and know that they’re vulnerable, but have enough trust that nothing terrible will happen to them,” Alton says.
he adds, “They’re comfortable with the idea that their personal data is online and available to a wide range of advertisers but have no real fears about seriously adverse consequences.
“They take responsibility for their own data, sharing it judiciously, changing their passwords often, and avoiding sharing information with questionable outside sources.
“Since most of the data breaches are caused, to some degree, by human error, this is a positive quality to have,” Alton says.
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