A new study has revealed how more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of online users would immediately stop using a retailer's website if it suffered a security attack or data breach.
However, a quarter would continue using the site, according to the survey by global information security and risk management company NTT Com Security.
The poll of more than 500 consumers explores ‘consumer trust’ in online sites, including retailers, and comes in the wake of a number of major security breaches on big-name retailers' websites and ahead of one of the biggest online shopping periods of the year – Christmas.
When asked what they would do if their retailer or bank suffered a data security attack, nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said they would stop using the site and move to a competitor, while 44 per cent would stop using the website until the problem was fixed. However, 14 per cent said they would only stop using the site if it suffered another security problem, while 11 per cent would carry on using it regardless.
Theft of credit card information (84 per cent) is seen as the biggest threat to privacy when online, followed by identity theft (80 per cent ), viruses (70 per cent), scam emails (60 per cent) and governments or companies tracking your activity (35 per cent).
Meanwhile, concerns over privacy and safety of personal information (66 per cent) and fears over fake or fraudulent websites (69 per cent) are the top reasons that prevent people from using an online site while 32 per cent said they worried about making online payments.
Speaking on the survey results, Stuart Reed, senior director of global product marketing at NTT Com Security, said, “While a significant minority says it would carry on using a site if it suffered a data breach, the majority would not – and this is lost business that will be very difficult to get back. It appears that concerns over theft and privacy of personal information is still a very real concern for people considering using services and shopping online."
Given the number and scale of data breaches this year, it’s no surprise that people are concerned, he said.
Reed continued, “Absolute confidence in a site’s ability to protect personal information is integral to consumer trust. So it’s vital that businesses can demonstrate this by doing the basics well."
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