New Kickstand Research Reveals Cyber Translation Gap with 73% of Americans Unable to Grasp Cybersecurity Lingo

Survey of 1,055 non-technical U.S. adults finds more than half tune out jargon-heavy security messaging, and 94% trust experts more when they explain cyber in plain language.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kickstand, a global PR and marketing agency, released the findings of its new cybersecurity research, The Sneaky Cyber Translation Gap. The study surveyed 1,055 U.S. adults who have never worked in cybersecurity, IT, or software. It measured what they understand about security, what they actually do to protect themselves, and who they trust. The findings show that people know security matters and want to do better, but the language the industry uses to reach them is not resonating.

Most security research surveys security professionals. This study screened them out to focus on the non-technical public, an important cybersecurity audience that often gets overlooked.

The data revealed that the industry's language is the largest hurdle. Seventy-three percent of respondents say the way companies and experts talk about cybersecurity is hard to follow, and 52% tune out messaging that leans on industry jargon. Only a handful of terms have made it into everyday vocabulary, like phishing, data breach, and multi-factor authentication. Most of the words security teams use daily lose a large share of the audience, and some barely register: nearly two-thirds of respondents had never heard of a zero-day attack or couldn't explain social engineering. Plain language wins them back. Furthermore, 94% are more likely to trust an expert who explains security in everyday terms, including 86% of people who call themselves very tech-savvy.

The study also exposed a significant gap between perceived and actual ability to identify AI-generated images. While 73% of respondents said they could recognize AI-generated imagery, a real-world test told a different story. When shown two flower photos, one real and one generated using Google Gemini, 72% of the 775 participants mistakenly identified the real photo as AI-generated, while fewer than one in four correctly identified the AI-generated image. Higher confidence made no difference, and neither did age. Gen Z was twice as likely as average to call themselves very confident, and scored 24% on the test, nearly identical to Baby Boomers at 25%.

"Ransomware is one of the most heavily covered topics in cybersecurity, yet only a third of people have never heard of it or can actually explain what it is. That tells us there's a disconnect we need to fix as cybersecurity marketers and PR professionals," said Sarah Graham, Senior Cybersecurity Account Director at Kickstand. "The security industry has built a vocabulary that works great within security teams, but we're still struggling to translate it for non-technical audiences, including the CEOs and business leaders who ultimately approve budgets and make buying decisions. It's time we pop the cyber jargon bubble and get realistic about the terminology our audiences actually understand. The brands willing to do that translating are the ones that will earn the broadcast coverage, the budget approvals, and ultimately, customer loyalty."

Additional key findings include:

• Effort is the real barrier to better habits. 94% agree strong, unique passwords are essential, but only 47% use them on most accounts. Among holdouts, 74% say remembering multiple passwords is too difficult, and just 3% say they don't know what makes a password strong.
• Products change behavior more than awareness does. Only 20% set up multi-factor authentication on their own, but another 40% are glad to use it when a site or app prompts them.
• Feeling tech-savvy doesn't protect people. 19% of respondents who rate themselves very tech-savvy have fallen victim to an online scam, compared with 12% overall.
• Worry isn't stopping AI adoption. 70% use AI tools regularly and 46% have shared personal information with one, even though 81% worry about how AI companies use that information.
• Trust is up for grabs. Only 52% believe the apps and services they use are protecting their information, while 94% say they would feel more loyal to businesses that can prove it.

To learn more, find the full report at https://meetkickstand.com/the-sneaky-cyber-translation-gap/

Kickstand will be at Cyber Marketing Con in Austin from November 15–18, 2026. To discuss these findings, be sure to stop by Kickstand's booth located right outside the main stage. More information can be found at https://meetkickstand.com/meet-chompers/

Methodology
The Sneaky Cyber Translation Gap survey was conducted online from July 29 to August 3, 2026, among 1,055 U.S. adults. To qualify, respondents had to use the internet at least a few times a week for everyday activities such as banking, shopping, email, work, or social media, and could not have worked in cybersecurity, IT, software development, or a related technical field. Respondents with a household member working for a critical infrastructure organization (healthcare, financial services, government, energy, utilities, or telecommunications) were also screened out. The margin of error for the full sample is approximately ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

About Kickstand
Kickstand is a global marketing agency offering a data-first approach to PR and services that include media and analyst relations, research, content, crisis communications, and influencer marketing. Kickstand helps build well-defended market leaders in some of today's most innovative industries, including mobility, robotics, AI, cybersecurity, fintech, insurtech, supply chain and logistics, sales and marketing tech, and eCommerce. Learn more at meetkickstand.com.

Media Contact
Sarah Graham
[email protected]

SOURCE Kickstand