Christmas shoppers fear for their internet security, says BSA

Fifty-one percent of consumers told Forrester Custom Consumer Research that security fears would impact their online Christmas purchases in some way. Over 1,000 British consumers took part in the survey.

Nine percent said they would not shop online at all, 8% said that their internet shopping would be affected a great deal by thoughts of security, while 34% said security would only have a small impact on their online purchasing. Forty-nine percent were not affected at all.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents were worried about protecting their personal data, and 75% were concerned about identity theft. Spam, credit card fraud and computer viruses were other top worries, along with fears about security when buying or selling goods on auction sites (74%).

According to the study, 74% of UK consumers would like to be better informed on how to protect themselves, although many are taking action to improve their security. More than half (56%) of respondents are planning to upgrade their protection software in the next three months and 25% have already installed five different kinds of security software products, from anti-virus to email filtering.

But the survey also found that 84% of UK consumers believe that retailers have not done enough to protect their customers.

“Internet security is clearly a major concern for consumers this Christmas and it looks as though online retailers could be doing more to create a safe shopping environment for their customers,” said Siobhan Carroll, Regional Manager, BSA. “Our message to consumers this Christmas is to be careful and take the necessary steps to enjoy all the benefits of shopping online.”

The software trade association has set up a website, bsacybersafety.com, to provide advice and guidance on internet security related issues.