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Press Release |
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European Consumers Claim Businesses Fail to Protect Their Personal Information Online
Survey of European Web Users Shows Consumer Dissatisfaction with the
Way Personal Online Information Is Safeguarded
LONDON – March 6, 2008 – European consumers have hit back at
institutions including banks and credit companies by claiming that not
enough is being done to safeguard their personal information online,
according to a YouGov survey published today by VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:
VRSN), the leading provider of Internet infrastructure for the networked
world.
The pan-European survey on consumers’ attitudes to
online security shows that European online users cite their bank as
the Web site they most visit, followed by retail shopping sites. As
many as 80 percent Danish, 77 percent Swedish, 72 percent French, 65
percent British, and 57 percent German online users regularly log onto
banking and other Web sites, where they share personal information at
least once a week - if not more often.
When asked if institutions such as the government
and banks were doing enough to safeguard a user's personal information
online, 57 percent of the UK population replied with a resounding no.
Nearly half of the German population (44 percent) also responded with
similar sentiments, followed by Sweden (31 percent), France (27 percent)
and Denmark (20 percent) also claiming not enough is being done.
With European Internet users putting up to £820 billion1
at risk by sharing personal data on Web sites that are either not secure
or poorly protected, there is a high level of concern about online data
security. The following percentage of consumers surveyed in their respective
regions is worried about identity theft:
- 78 percent in the
UK
- 79 percent in Germany
- 70 percent in France
- 41 percent in Denmark
- 55 percent in Sweden
The research of Europe's online users also questioned
who should be responsible for protecting customers’ personal information
online. The survey showed that at least half of respondents in each
of the countries felt that it was the organisations’ (banks, credit
card companies and Web sites) responsibility - UK (51 percent), France
(75 percent), Sweden (52 percent), Germany (51 percent) and Denmark
(45 percent).
Jon Kerr, VeriSign SSL Manager, commented, “With increasing
frequency, we are seeing more and more theft of consumer's personal
information. The study shows that online customers are becoming more
aware of the risks involved in passing on their details over sites that
may not be secure. It is the organisations themselves that will fail
to benefit as they will lose out on an increasingly sceptical customer
base who expect their online safety to be taken care of.”
Some online businesses and technologies are advancing
with more than 2,500 online merchants adopting VeriSign’s Extended Validation
(EV) SSL which turns the address bar green when viewed by users of certain
high-security web browsers, a feature that can be seen at first glance,
helping make consumers more confident that the site they are visiting
is secure. The “green bar” technology helps to combat e-criminals who
use fake sites to illegally capture personal details as it helps assure
users that their personal information will only go to their intended
bank or retailer.
“Trust is difficult to build but easy to break,” continued
Kerr. “That’s why thousands of domains are now protected with
VeriSign EV SSL Certificates. By displaying the green address bar to
site visitors, online businesses like banks and retailers are communicating
that they care enough to provide the most advanced protection available.
And in the process, they are protecting the relationship they’ve built
with customers.”
Notes to editor
¹ This figure was derived by combining the average exposure level for
European citizens as researched by YOUGOV with the current adult Internet
connected population of each country.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), operates digital infrastructure
services that enable and protect billions of interactions every day
across the world’s voice, video and data networks. Additional news and
information about the company is available at www.verisign.co.uk.
Contacts
Media: VeriSign Media Relations EMEA: Victoria Henry, vhenry@verisign.com,
+44 20 8600 0723
Lydia Curtis, Weber Shandwick for VeriSign, VerisignLondon@webershandwick.com,
+44 207 067 0513
Statements in this announcement other than historical
data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks
and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ
materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements.
The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential
fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as the inability of VeriSign to successfully develop
and market new products and services and customer acceptance of any
new products or services, including VeriSign’s Extended Validation SSL
Certificates and solutions, the possibility that VeriSign’s announced new services may not result in additional customers,
profits or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures.
More information about potential factors that could affect the company's
business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any
of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
©2008 VeriSign, Inc. All rights reserved.
VeriSign, the VeriSign logo, the checkmark circle, and other trademarks,
service marks, and designs are registered or unregistered trademarks
of VeriSign, Inc., and its subsidiaries in the United States and in
foreign countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective
owners.
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