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Consumers worried about retail and government cybersecurity

By Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Director, Channel Marketing, Hexis Cyber Solutions

In both the private and public sectors, trust is the
foundation of the relationship between those
who provide goods and services and those who
consume them.

This has been the case since the beginning of
commerce and government, but in the digital
age, it's almost gospel.

Online interactions with businesses and
government have a new dimension that has
never existed until recently:

With every transaction, data is transmitted and stored in organizations' networks. This includes
a sizeable collection of consumer information, from personal identity data to psychographic
profiles of shoppers. Consumers today are increasingly aware of this dynamic and are growing
fearful of what could happen if their data falls into the wrong hands.

Consumers fear the possibility of a retail and government data breach

Over the last few years, the topic of cybersecurity has entered public consciousness thanks to
highly publicized cyberattacks on large retail enterprises like Target and Home Depot, as well as
government agencies like the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

In light of these, consumers are afraid that their data will be next.

According to a Unisys Security Insights survey of 1,016 adult consumers, 44 percent of
respondents said they expect a retailer they do business with to suffer a data breach within the
next year.

Government agencies aren't much better in the eyes of these consumers, as 39 percent believe
a cyberattack on a federal or state body will lead to the loss of their data.

Retailers and governments can't afford to lose consumer trust

Leaders in the private and public sectors know that at a certain point, cybersecurity will be a key
differentiator in the market. Those who can demonstrate a commitment to data retention will

11 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2015 Edition
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