Page 68 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2022

Attracting loyal customer bases through digital trust

When people make a purchase or interact with an online retailer, they demonstrate their digital trust in
that business. However, the quality of the service is no longer defined by how an interface looks or how
easy it is to navigate.

Customer expectations have evolved with digitisation. Driven by device proliferation and improved
internet connectivity, modern online shoppers expect to encounter seamless digital processes from sign-
in to purchase — particularly since the pandemic, which increased the number of people using online
services regularly.

Today, customers are more aware of how their data is used and stored and base their shopping
behaviours on a provider’s ability to ensure security. The Okta Digital Trust Index (2021), which surveyed
13,000 office workers, found that 88% of people in the UK were unlikely to purchase from a brand they
did not trust. And according to a Retail Week report on the 20 most-trusted UK retailers, 58% of
consumers are highly conscious about their safety when shopping online, citing identity theft as a
significant concern.

Plus, with most businesses working online in some capacity, the government is introducing regulations
for using technology to manage digital identities. An updated UK digital identity and attributes trust
framework was announced earlier this year to make sharing digital identities between users easier and
safer, allowing more control over what personal information is available to different services and
organisations.

There are several ways businesses can generate a loyal digital customer base — from inviting positive
customer reviews to providing excellent customer service. But when it comes to digital trust, three main
factors make people in the UK more likely to trust a brand: its service reliability, tried-and-tested security
policies and quick response times — all of which can be facilitated by successful digital transformation.

Developing cyber security to support digital trust
Cyber security is an essential consideration for organisations undergoing digital transformation, which
involves implementing technology to automate processes, encourage a more cyber-aware business
culture, increase security and refine user experiences. As such, retailers must protect data from a cyber
breach to remain compliant and secure digital customers.

According to Okta’s survey, 47% of UK people permanently stopped using a firm’s services after hearing
of a data breach. As such, IT professionals are harnessing advancements in artificial intelligence and
machine learning to support existing traditional threat models and automate risk management to reduce
the overall probability of falling victim to a cyber attack.

Many organisations are also taking a ‘zero-trust’ approach to cyber security, which means that no network
activity is trusted immediately. Every device, service, application or user connected by a network must
go through a robust identity and access management process to gain a least privileged level of trust and

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2022 Edition 68
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