When chocolate becomes a security threat

Whilst some researchers point out that chocolate may provide health benefits that include decreasing the risk factors for certain heart related diseases, further research indicates that it can also become a security threat, specially when women are around!

I know it sounds funny, but so claims latest survey conducted by Infosecurity Europe over 576 office workers in London. According to that research, women are four times more likely than men to give out their passwords in exchange for a chocolate bar (45% of women compared to 10% of men).

However, results also indicate that up to 60% of men and 62% of women were happy to provide their names and telephone numbers when promised to enter a draw to go to Paris. With the percentage of people being fooled depending on the prize attractiveness (at the end of the day, all women love chocolate, don’t they) I wonder what the results would have been among men if the prize were football tickets or electronic toys…

While the real value of this ‘research’ is still uncertain (we don’t know how many people gave out a real password and how many just filled in any rubbish for a chocolate treat), the truth is that these year’s results are far better than those obtained in 2007, when 64% of people were ready to exchange their passwords for chocolate.

It’s also worth to mention that Infosecurity undertook this survey just a week before its annual exhibition at Olympia Centre, where nearly 12,000 visitors are expected. I’ve been there many times, and although I guess I would never give out my password for a chocolate bar, who has never given a business card to enter a draw to get a free ipod or an xbox at one of the hundred stands Infosecurity has?

Link to Press Release on Infosecurity website.