4. How Do Decision-Makers Think?

Decision-makers are in agreement with respect to some key statements about trust and security on the Internet – despite the differences in the fundamental attitudes towards the digital world described on the preceding pages. This common view of the development of digitalisation, the significance of the subject of security, the distribution of power on the Net, the sources of risk and the responsibility of the general public are the topics in this chapter.

There is no longer such a thing as an offline life

  • The distinction between online and offline will soon become obsolete. The majority of the decision-makers (64 per cent) believe that it will no longer be possible to be completely offline in the future. Technologies will become simplified and specialised to such an extent that the utilisation of various devices and their functions will require less and less digital basic knowledge, general understanding of technology or fine motor skills.
  • The phenomenon of people genuinely being offline will be a phase that „outgrows“ itself. Before long, people will no longer „get on the Internet“ because more and more everyday processes will be steered online anyway (e.g. the navigation technology in the car, the stocking of supermarket shelves, monitoring in hospitals). Digital trenches will silt up completely on their own because everyone will be born into an online world – in other words, they will be Digital Natives without even being aware of it.
  • From the perspective of decision-makers, we are in the middle of a fundamental transformation in society. What is at stake here has long since gone beyond technological trans- formations which affect merely the efficiency of work processes; completely new and different skills demanded for the exercise of a profession have come into being (e.g. the fast meshing of knowledge units, the flexible and repeated familiarisation with new fields, the design or evaluation of a personal or institutional Internet presence and flexible action in global contexts). The need for „classic“ skills is declining, or they have changed almost beyond recognition (e.g. filing, appointment coordination on the phone). Moreover, it is becoming more and more difficult to keep work and professional life apart in many areas because digital applications make it possible to carry out projects even when away from the desk. While this gives rise to new opportunities (home office, „workation“), new challenges are just as common (setting limits in favour of personal life, mistakes caused by information overload).

Security on the Internet is a burning issue – but an illusion

  • Eight out of ten decision-makers view data security as a key thematic complex for themselves personally as well as for society. Broad subjects such as economic development, education, unemployment, energy supply and social justice are still given a little more weight; but online security is rated as more important than climate change or immigration.
  • Decision-makers are significantly more sensitive to the subject of data security on the Internet than the populace in Germany as a whole. In comparison to the general public, decision-makers rate the significance of the thematic complex „data security on the Internet“ substantially higher – both for society in general (78 per cent versus 66 per cent) and in the personal sphere (80 per cent versus 64 per cent). The greater importance attached to data security by decision-makers can be explained by their professional environment: decision- makers evaluate the subject from the perspective of potential damage or loss for their company or organisation.
  • The Net is hard to control. Comprehensive data security on the Internet is a mirage – 68 per cent of the decision-makers are convinced of this. This covers equally the possible loss of data, the uncontrolled distribution of data, the inaccessibility of data and the non-existent „right to forget“ on the Internet. This group is fully aware that (technical) systems can never guarantee more than partial security and that there will always be a residual risk. Logically enough, most decision-makers are of the opinion that we will have to become accustomed to a more liberal handling of data on the Internet (60 per cent).
  • A superordinate codex of values for the Net appears unrealistically utopian. Technical weaknesses are not the only factors limiting the degree to which data security can be achieved. Considering that the Internet is a global phenomenon, decision-makers believe it will become increasingly difficult to create binding legal provisions of a fundamental nature. 49 per cent are convinced that any one country will hardly be in a position to establish regulations with which „the Internet“ will feel obligated to comply.

Private business runs the Internet

  • The Internet is dominated first and foremost by private business. The large, globally active Internet service providers such as Google, Apple, Facebook, eBay and Amazon in particular are viewed as the primary actors, who determine to a major degree what basic applications become available.
  • The concentration of the power of global players is regarded as a risk on the Net. Many decision-makers express their concern that they have become dependent on single companies because there are virtually no alternatives on the Internet for researching, purchasing or networking. As specific services have become more widespread and more tightly intermeshed with one another, monopolies have risen which dictate to the market – and to their own working environment as well.
  • There is almost no perception of the government as a dominant actor on the Internet. Significant influence on the Internet is attributed to the world of politics by only 15 per cent and to public administration by only eleven per cent.

The sources of risk on the Net are hackers, global Internet service providers and thoughtless users

  • Hacker attacks are the greatest risk on the Internet. Guarantees of protection from hacker attacks are considered completely worthless. Strategies which offer (at most temporary) protection must be regularly reviewed and constantly updated.
  • Large, global Internet service providers have significant potential for risks. This opinion is shared by 73 per cent of the decision-makers. However, they see the same level of risk from the actions of thoughtless users, who unintentionally jeopardise data security and data protection or who fall into traps because they have not (yet) learned to recognise fraudulent offers.
  • The government poses little threat to the Internet. Only nine per cent of the surveyed decision-makers discern a high potential for risk in the German government; 18 per cent see such a risk in the government administrative bodies and 21 per cent see the danger coming from political actors. The actions of government security authorities on the Internet are viewed as a risk by 29 per cent.

Decision-makers regard hacker attacks to be the greatest risk on the Internet

Users bear the primary responsibility, but they lack the necessary knowledge

  • Users clearly bear responsibility for the protection of data. Security on the Net can only be achieved – if at all – through the media literacy of the populace, according to 69 per cent of the decision-makers. Assuming responsibility for one’s own actions is the overriding imperative of the day (73 per cent), which should be heeded by users on the Internet – whether they are aware of this or not.
  • Users bear the greatest responsibility, but too much is being demanded of them. In the comparison of the various Internet actors, 82 per cent of the decision-makers place responsibility above all on the general populace, but only 27 per cent have any trust in the competence of such users. Consequently, they urge users to depend above all on education and their own experience because no one can assume responsibility in their stead. Decision-makers consider advice from independent institutions and experts to be relevant as well; but people should depend less on government institutions, the German legal system and the Internet community, as shown in the chart below.

From the decision-makers’ viewpoint, government institutions and the German legal system tend to be less important for security on the Internet

From the decision-makers’ viewpoint, government institutions and the German legal system tend to be less important for security on the Internet