A survey of 1,000 members of the public has shown that 76% believe organisations will ‘never truly be able to protect their data’. Nearly one in four have indicated that nothing could be done to restore their trust in the event of a data breach. This clearly has implications for businesses – 30% of people said they would change supplier if the company they were using became a victim of a cyber attack, and 28% said they would never consider using an organisation if it had previously been reported as a victim.

The vast majority – 83% – feel that organisations should highlight what they are doing to protect customer data, and 81% want to see the Government take action by reviewing data protection legislation. 83% want to see the fines imposed if sufficient safeguards are not implemented.

“Acceptance of the inevitability of cyber attacks may be a reality, but British consumers have become increasingly concerned about the way organisations use customer data and protect it, once a breach has happened,” says Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service.

“They want to know what plans are in place to secure personal data, before sharing it. They rightly demand reassurance that organisations will be transparent in the event of a breach and they are also seeking clarity about how brands will respond if cyber defences are broken. The fact is that a customer’s experience is determined not just by performance when things go well, but the promise of performance when things go wrong. That’s why the organisations best able to deliver a strong, reassuring and detailed outline of their cyber strategy and demonstrate its execution will set themselves apart from their competitors and go a long way to securing the loyalty of customers in the long-term.”