Tag: national cyber security alliance

A recent study has shown that customers are not interested in shopping over smartphones until they feel safe.

Businesses that are hoping to be able to take full advantage of what m-commerce has to offer are, according to a recent report based on a study, going to need to do a better job at showing consumers that they can trust in mobile security.

Many smartphone owners simply do not feel that it is safe enough to share their details to buy over these devices.

Though many people are still looking at products on their smartphones, in addition to other shopping behaviors such as comparing prices, they are still much more comfortable making purchases from their laptops and desktops than they are using m-commerce, simply because they do not yet have faith in mobile security. This, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance and PayPal’s results of the 2013 National Online Safety Study.

The report suggests that mobile security should be a prime focus for convincing consumers to use m-commerce.

What the report revealed was that 36 percent of respondents were feeling mobile security concerns when it came to shopping over their smartphones and tablets. However, at the same time, only 22 percent of the participants had taken the precaution of installing a protection app into their device beyond whatever was included in the manufacturer initially installed. There were far more game apps installed than those meant for protecting the device.

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance executive director, Michael Kaiser, “Many people just start using a mobile device without always taking the time to implement safety or security measures.” He added that by making sure that mobile security software has been installed and that it includes a program that can wipe out the data the phone contains if it is ever lost or stolen, and by locking the device with a password, greater peace of mind can be achieved.

Aside from mobile security, there were also large concerns identified regarding the risk that someone else would be able to make a purchase with their device if it was ever lost or stolen. That said, only 34 percent locked their devices with a pin or password.

National Cyber Security Alliance predicts consumers becoming more concerned over security

Black Friday is widely known as a day when retailers offer major deals and discounts on a wide variety of products. As the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday is the most important day in the retail industry, in terms of business. The following Monday is known as Cyber Monday, largely due to the fact that a wide range of electronics go on sale in a move that is very similar to what occurs in the retail industry on Black Friday. A new survey from the National Cyber Security Alliances and McAfee suggests that these two shopping holidays could mean major security issues for consumers.

Data breaches leave many consumers leery of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is expected to play a major role in t his year’s holiday shopping. More consumers have access to smart phones and other mobile devices as well as mobile payment platforms that make it easier to purchase goods. These platforms could be a major boon for some shoppers that have trouble finding the products they want, or those than want to avoid long lines and make a purchase quickly and efficiently. The survey from the National Cyber Security Alliance shows that the vast majority of these consumers do not feel safe while they are online on their mobile devices, however.

National Cyber Security Alliance survey shows majority of consumers do not feel safe online

The survey notes that 90% of mobile consumers do not feel safe when shopping online through their mobile device. The National Cyber Security Alliance notes that over the past year, one in four consumers received notifications from businesses that informed them that their personal information has been lost of compromised due to data breach. These data breaches have left many consumers wary of online shopping and mobile commerce. While many consumers are still inclined to participate in mobile commerce, the survey suggests that these consumers should take steps to ensure their information is protected.

Consumers can take steps to protect their information

There are several ways consumers can keep their financial information safe without relying on other companies to do all the work for them. One way is to ensure that a smart phones or mobile device is free from all malicious content. This can be done using anti-virus software that is made specifically for mobile devices. Keeping an eye on what kind of information companies collect through mobile transactions is also a good way to know what information may be put at risk. Consumers can control what information they share, thus mitigating any risk they may face.