Microsoft Safer Online Poll Finds Both Genders Agree on Mobile Manners But Differ When Protecting Personal Information
Jacqueline Beauchere, Chief Online Safety Officer at Microsoft(Redmond, WA, Thursday, May 30, 2013) – Men and women rarely seem to agree about anything. Asking for directions may be the perfect example. But Microsoft Safer Online has found something both men and women finally agree on: the way people use mobile phones can be incredibly annoying. From people who never silence their ringer to those who text during a movie, mobile pet peeves are universally shared. Top Five Most Annoying Mobile Pet Peeves: Checking phones constantly Talking loudly Using or not silencing phones when appropriate Using phones during face-to-face conversation Delaying traffic by using phones The poll also revealed 39 percent of respondents believe men and women are equal when it comes to their mobile phone safety habits, but this is not the case. Research from Microsoft’s Computing Safety Index (MCSI) released earlier this year, shows that adult men and women practice mobile safety quite differently. For instance, men keep their mobile devices more up-to-date to defend against online risks than women do (32 vs. 24 percent). On the other hand, 40 percent of women seem to be savvier when protecting their online reputation by limiting what strangers can see on social networking sites compared to 32 percent of men. As always, protecting yourself online and while using your mobile devices is paramount in today’s online world. Here are some tips to help men and women stay safe while using mobile devices: Silence your mobile phone: Know when to put the phone away and “be present.” Help protect your privacy online: Don’t overshare. Think before posting where you are and save vacation highlights and photos for your return. Use location-based services safely: Think carefully about turning on geo-tagging. Share your location only with people whom you trust. Pay attention to where and when you check in, and get permission before you check in others. Conduct financial transactions on a secure network: Don’t use “borrowed” or public Wi-Fi hotspots. Save those sensitive transactions for the safer home computer. Lock your mobile phone: Keep your information secret with a unique, four-digit PIN and don’t share it with others. For more information go to: http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/mcsi.aspx.