Consumers still distrust online security

There is still a deep distrust among the British public about the security used by online shopping and banking sites to keep sensitive information safe, according to an NOP survey.

The study of 999 adults commissioned by security software company Enterasys Networks found that ecommerce and online banks have a long way to go before they earn the trust of the public.

It found only a quarter of people having the confidence in these organisations to keep their personal details and data safe from hackers and criminals.

It seems this distrust persists, despite the fact we are spending more online each year. According to the IMRG, sales for October this year are an estimated £2.73bn.

The industry body said online shopping has grown at its fastest ever rate in 2006, increasing by an average of £50m per month during the first 10 months of the year.

Yet the survey showed retailers have only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential of online purchases because of the people surveyed only around half has ever shopped online.

This leaves four out of 10 (43 per cent) people unsure about shopping online because of security concerns.

Banks fare a little better winning the confidence of their customers with 57 per cent awarding them a four or five out of five for security.

Mark Pearce, a security specialist at Enterasys networks, who provide secure networks to enterprises and government bodies, said: “If companies can convince some of the ecommerce virgins to take the plunge, as well as build greater confidence amongst those who are occasional cyber-shoppers, there is still a huge amount of untapped business for those companies who can address and convince customers that their information is in safe hands.

"The best way for businesses that want to increase their online sales is to ensure that their network is highly secure and get that word out to customers via their website."

Men tend to be more open to online financial transactions with just over half of those surveyed (54 per cent) saying they had bought something over the internet compared to 47 per cent of women.

Confidence in security is also higher among the younger age groups; 16 to 24-year-olds are most confident, with more than eight in 10 (84 per cent) professing to be happy with security compared to just over five in 10 (54 per cent) of the 65-plus age group.

The profile of the active e-shopper is typically a married ‘30-something’, working full-time and living in London or the South of England.

Our confidence levels in government agencies such as the local council is also worryingly low, with just 27 per cent of the population scoring their security measures at one or two out of five.

Our degree of suspicion also extends to our own employers, with only 35 per cent feeling very confident in their employer’s ability to keep confidential records secure.

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