Data privacy survey: Consumers worry about data but don’t do enough to protect it

Acronis
Acronis True Image
formerly Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office

What do consumers know about data privacy? And more importantly, what are they doing to keep their data safe? The simple answer to these questions is that they understand the risks to their data, but aren’t necessarily taking actions to mitigate them. 

The Acronis Data Privacy in 2025 Survey provides a comprehensive overview of consumer attitudes and behaviors regarding data privacy and cyber protection. Acronis posed questions to nearly 2,500 consumers across eight countries to understand public perceptions of data protection and the steps individuals are taking to safeguard their personal information through cybersecurity practices.

The survey results reveal a significant gap between consumers’ awareness of data security and their actual practices. More than 60% of respondents acknowledge the importance of data security, but fewer than half express strong concern for the safety of their personal data, indicating a disconnect between understanding risks and taking proactive measures.

Awareness doesn’t necessarily translate to action

The survey highlights that consumers are aware of cybersecurity threats, with 64% citing data breaches as their top concern. However, many do not follow best practices. For instance, less than half use two-factor authentication (2FA), and a significant number do not avoid using public Wi-Fi.

Phishing, malware and ransomware are prevalent threats, with each affecting approximately 20% of consumers. Despite these threats, 50% of consumers say they have never experienced a data breach. Another 24% said they had suffered a breach, and 12% of respondents didn’t know whether or not they had or not.

Acronis
Acronis Data Privacy in 2025 Survey
Explore the complete survey results

Key findings: Weak adoption of mobile security, trouble using security tools

Other key findings of the survey included:

Gap in perceived value versus actual use of tools

There is a notable paradox where consumers value advanced cybersecurity features but seldom use these tools effectively. For instance, firewalls are near the top the list of most valuable methods of protection, but only about 36% of consumers use them. And, almost 10% of respondents do nothing to protect themselves online.

Weakness in adoption of mobile security

Despite roughly two thirds of consumers having three or more devices at home, only 42% said they use mobile security apps. A quarter of respondents said they didn’t think their devices were vulnerable to attacks, while 35% said they weren’t familiar with applications for mobile security.

Trouble using security tools

One reason for a lack of action around data protection could be that security tools are too difficult to use. The survey showed that 30% of consumers find security tools complex and challenging to manage. Another 26% reported security alerts that turned out to be false positives. Additionally, 25% of consumers find security applications to be expensive.

Inconsistent backup practices

While a majority of consumers back up their data, only a third of respondents reported performing regular data backup. Additionally, consumers are generally more likely to prioritize backup of photos as opposed to documents that could include important personal or financial information. And four in 100 respondents said they didn’t even know what backup means.

Consumer behavior has not caught up with awareness 

The survey covers a wide range of other topics, as well. Overall, it brings to light the need for continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices and education to bridge the gap between consumer awareness and behavior. It also highlights the importance of making cybersecurity tools more accessible and user friendly, and the need for ongoing education to help consumers better protect their personal information.

With many consumers completely tied to their devices to complete routine tasks such as banking, shopping and communicating with friends, safe cybersecurity practices are critical and will only grow in importance. Consumers seem to understand this, but have been slow to act on it. They will need to turn concern into action if they want to avoid data theft going forward.

Learn how you can protect your data from data loss and cyberthreats with Acronis True Image, an award-winning backup and cybersecurity solution for home and business.

Acronis
Acronis Data Privacy in 2025 Survey
Explore the complete survey results

About Acronis

A Swiss company founded in Singapore in 2003, Acronis has 15 offices worldwide and employees in 50+ countries. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is available in 26 languages in 150 countries and is used by over 20,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses.