Sites that suffer a security breach can regain the trust of some of its users, but not all of them, a new study has revealed.
A quarter of online users would continue to use a site that suffered a security attack or data breach, the research says.
However 68% of consumers said they would immediately stop using a bank or retailer if the site suffered a security breach.
This is according to a survey of over 500 UK consumers performed by information security and risk management company NTT Com Security.
It said that the vast majority of online consumers, 84%, were very concerned about the safety of their financial information when buying things online.
The study looks at the trust amongst consumers of big online platforms, such as dating sites, social networking sites, retailers and banks.
This is ahead of this week’s Black Friday and the busy online period around Christmas.
Although 24% said they would stop using an online bank or retailer that had been attacked, 44% said they would stop using it until the problem was fixed.
In terms of the biggest threats posed online, credit card information being stolen is the biggest worry for online shoppers, with 84%, followed by identity theft at 80%, and scam emails at 60%.
Looking at the main reasons people wouldn’t use a particular site, fears over fake or fraudulent websites came out top with 69%, followed by concerns over the safety of their personal data with 66%.
Stuart Reed, senior director of global product marketing at NTT Com Security, said: “Online businesses take note. 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 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.
“But opportunities like Black Friday come round once a year and retailers should be capitalising on a potential online shopping bonanza.”
SurveyMonkey conducted the NTT survey, speaking to a broad spread of 526 respondents from the UK over the weekend of the 14th November.