Survey: Online shoppers don’t feel safe

San Francisco - Most consumers do not feel safe when shopping online and many are shying away from their favorite retailers as a result. According to the ‘Trust in the Internet’ survey of 10,000 U.S. and U.K. consumers from NCC Group and IDG, nearly eight out of 10 people (77%) do not feel very safe when shopping online and, with the holidays just a few weeks away, nearly a quarter reveal they are doing less online due to security concerns (23%).



The poll also found that 64% of consumers believe that they are likely to be a victim of a security breach within the next 12 months, and 59% of people are uncomfortable sharing sensitive financial and personal information when they shop and interact with organizations online. Eighty-four percent of consumers believe companies should compensate customers financially for their loss if they experience a breach.



Other notable findings include:



• Only 21% of consumers admit they feel very secure while shopping online.

• Sixty-two percent of consumers say they are more concerned about online security now than they have ever been

• Only 8% of consumers say they strongly agree that they are comfortable sharing financial details and completing financial transactions online overall

• Twenty-nine percent of consumers expect to be the victim of a breach “any minute.

• Fifty-six percent of consumers said that in order to complete online transactions, they often must share information that they would normally not feel comfortable sharing online.

• Sixty-eight percent of consumers say they would be more likely to do business with companies within an online community made up of secure/safe websites, where only verified brands operate.