Security News > 2020 > August > Want to create loyal customers? Get on the bleeding edge of data security
Disconnects aside, privacy and data security consistently registered as an important topic to respondents, 78% of whom said they want the government to play a greater role in protecting their data.
The COVID-19 pandemic, in which sharing personal data has become an essential part of tracking the spread of the virus, hasn't budged most people, either: 51% are still unwilling to share personal data for any reason.
Respondents also cite privacy as a top consideration for their loyalty to a brand: 31% say a commitment to protecting data is the most important factor in brand loyalty, and 40% say it's the brand's overall trustworthiness, of which its honesty about data privacy is likely a factor.
"The results of the survey affirm the growing need for brands to focus on building and maintaining this trust, starting first and foremost with protecting customer data. As more businesses utilize the cloud to enable data driven insights, a firm commitment to data privacy will help to ensure long-term loyalty, consumer satisfaction and shareholder value," said Privitar CEO Jason du Preez.
24% of customers said they reduced or stopped doing business with companies that suffered a data breach, and that number could be higher if the 43% who are unaware of whether a company has been breached were informed.