--- title: Is your smartphone safe from surveillance in 2018? description: We conducted our second annual survey on attitudes about smartphone privacy and security on August 1st, 2018. The results show a slightly elevated level of concern, but not as much as one might think. image: https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/shutterstock_320041463-1-900x506.jpg --- - [Partners](https://privoro.com/find-a-partner) - [Support](https://privoro.com/support) [![Privoro Logo](https://blog.privoro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Privoro_November2022/images/privoro-logo.png?width=238&height=113&name=privoro-logo.png "Privoro Logo")](https://privoro.com/) - Solutions - [Phones in classified spaces](https://privoro.com/solutions/secure-spaces) - [Prevent mobile surveillance](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-from-listening-and-watching) - [Stop location tracking](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-location-tracking) - [Prevent wireless attacks](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-wireless-attacks) - [Hide from RF detection](https://privoro.com/solutions/go-dark-from-cellular-network) - Products - [SafeCase](https://privoro.com/safecase) - [Vault](https://privoro.com/vault) - [Secure Mobility Platform](https://privoro.com/fulcrum) - Industries - [Government](https://privoro.com/government) - [Enterprise](https://privoro.com/enterprise) - Company - [About Us](https://privoro.com/about-us) - [Team](https://privoro.com/team) - [Newsroom](https://privoro.com/newsroom) - [Media Kit](https://privoro.com/media-kit) - [Blog](https://blog.privoro.com/) - [Content Library](https://privoro.com/content-library) - [Advanced Mobile Threats 101](https://privoro.com/advanced-mobile-threats-101) - [Legal](https://privoro.com/legal) ![menu bars](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Privoro_November2022/images/line-bars.svg) ![Close icon](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Privoro_November2022/images/times.svg) - Solutions - [Phones in classified spaces](https://privoro.com/solutions/secure-spaces) - [Prevent mobile surveillance](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-from-listening-and-watching) - [Stop location tracking](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-location-tracking) - [Prevent wireless attacks](https://privoro.com/solutions/prevent-smartphone-wireless-attacks) - [Hide from RF detection](https://privoro.com/solutions/go-dark-from-cellular-network) - Products - [SafeCase](https://privoro.com/safecase) - [Vault](https://privoro.com/vault) - [Secure Mobility Platform](https://privoro.com/fulcrum) - Industries - [Government](https://privoro.com/government) - [Enterprise](https://privoro.com/enterprise) - Company - [About Us](https://privoro.com/about-us) - [Team](https://privoro.com/team) - [Newsroom](https://privoro.com/newsroom) - [Media Kit](https://privoro.com/media-kit) - [Blog](https://blog.privoro.com/) - [Content Library](https://privoro.com/content-library) - [Advanced Mobile Threats 101](https://privoro.com/advanced-mobile-threats-101) - [Legal](https://privoro.com/legal) - [Partners](https://privoro.com/find-a-partner) - [Support](https://privoro.com/support) - [![Linkedin](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Privoro_November2022/Images/Linkedin.png)Opens a new window](https://www.linkedin.com/company/privoro) - [![Youtube](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Privoro_November2022/Images/Youtube.png)Opens a new window](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPqnNWnZoEMfKJMtwYq5vQ) - [![Twitter](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Privoro_November2022/Images/Twitter.png)Opens a new window](https://twitter.com/privoro) - [![Facebook](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Privoro_November2022/Images/Facebook.png)Opens a new window](https://www.facebook.com/Privoro) ![close](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Privoro_November2022/images/cross.svg) ## Contact Have a question or inquiry? We're here to help. ![](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/shutterstock_320041463-1-900x506.jpg) # Is your smartphone safe from surveillance in 2018? Published by [Julie Dexter Berg](https://blog.privoro.com/author/julie-dexter-berg) on Sep 23, 2018 7:57:39 PM We conducted our second annual [survey on attitudes about smartphone privacy and security](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Corus_Inforgraphic.pdf) on August 1st, 2018. The results show a slightly elevated level of concern, but not as much as one might think given the endless stream of news reports about smartphone hacks and exploits. Check out the infographic of the results [here](https://blog.privoro.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Corus_Inforgraphic_V05.pdf).The research was fielded by [Corus](https://cor.us/)among 691 US-based respondents. The sample was balanced by gender. Survey respondents were presented with 6 online questions relating to smartphone security. Starting with general awareness, the number of respondents who are not sure if their phone has been hacked has more than doubled – from 12% in 2017 to 25% in 2018. The news reports of smartphones being hacked has certainly raised consciousness that hacking occurs, but fully one quarter of the population don’t know if it has happened to them. Similarly, 60% of respondents continue to believe their phone is safe in airplane mode. Understandably, people are most concerned about their financial information with one third of survey respondents stating this as their biggest worry were their phone to be hacked. Email has dropped in importance from 24% in 2017 to just 14% in 2018, suggesting that people are exercising more judgement and care in the information they chose to include in email correspondence. Over half the respondents discuss sensitive information on their phone, perhaps signaling apathy or simply resignation that despite the security issues associated with smartphones themselves they continue to trust them with their sensitive information. Clearly, people don’t understand (or just don’t care) that the ever-ubiquitous smartphone was engineered for connectivity, not security. We added two new questions to the survey this year. We wanted to know how people perceive their smartphones relative to other devices in terms of hacking vulnerability. PC desktop or laptop computers led the way with 36% of survey respondents rating them “most likely device to be hacked”. Smartphones followed with android phones (19%) and iPhones (15%). Hackers are already ahead of the game, having identified smartphones as a much more [valuable target](https://www.cnet.com/news/your-smartphones-are-getting-more-valuable-for-hackers/). We closed with a question about how worried people are about the future of their “digital privacy”. To this question people were overwhelming in their response. Fully 90% of survey respondents are concerned about digital privacy. Possibly this is a leading indicator and that future behavioral changes will follow. We hope people will become more proactive in taking control of their digital devices to ensure privacy and security in today’s ultra-connected world. Read more about[SafeCase for iPhone](https://privoro.com/safecase) and Privoro's [mobile security solutions](https://privoro.com/) today. Tags: [Mobile Security](https://blog.privoro.com/tag/mobile-security), [Mobile Surveillance](https://blog.privoro.com/tag/mobile-surveillance) [Back to Blog](https://blog.privoro.com) ## Related Articles ## [Global SOF Modern Warfare Conference recap.](https://blog.privoro.com/global-sof-modern-warfare-conference-recap) Privoro recently attended the GSF Modern Warfare conference at Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd... [Read More](https://blog.privoro.com/global-sof-modern-warfare-conference-recap) ## [How Apple shapes the narrative about smartphone security.](https://blog.privoro.com/how-apple-shapes-the-narrative-about-smartphone-security) In August, we conducted our annual survey designed to gauge attitudes about mobile security and... [Read More](https://blog.privoro.com/how-apple-shapes-the-narrative-about-smartphone-security) ## [Lack of emphasis on secure teleworking is a national security risk.](https://blog.privoro.com/lack-of-emphasis-on-secure-teleworking-is-a-national-security-risk) Commercial mobile devices without proper protections are creating risks to our National Security. 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