Nearly three quarters of the UK fear their personal data will be breached

Research conducted by cybersecurity company BullGuard has shown that 72 per cent of the nation fear that their private data will be stolen when they submit their financial information and emails to companies.

Two thirds also assumed that their data has already been taken without their realisation.

The study, which took into account 2000 adults across the country, found that a fifth of the responders were victims of data theft, with a further third left completely financially vulnerable as a result.

Sixty-five per cent of the victims believed that their information could still be used with bad intentions, and also worried that their data was held without their consent by up to 40 companies on average.

CEO of BullGuard Paul Lipman said: “As the results show, the way companies use data really is a huge concern for customers.

“This has particular relevance in the wake of the <a href="/leased-lines/technology-news/data-security-news/dixons-carphone-confirms-data-security-breach">Dixons Carphone hack</a> in which millions of customer records have been compromised. Clearly these worries are justified because the number of people who are victims of identity fraud is worryingly high.”

The top three concerns for respondents surfaced as identity theft, stolen credit card details, and compromised bank details.

The poll also revealed that 85 per cent of people considered that companies prioritised its profits over the security of its customers. This is in addition to the fact that 80 per cent believed that companies they did business with have been hacked but failed to inform its customers.

Those who approached companies regarding security breaches felt as though their claims were not dealt with adequately, with 40 percent citing the communication as ‘unsympathetic’ or ‘blunt’.

“The response from companies to data breaches simply is not good enough as far as customers are concerned. They want to be reassured and want to see quick and decisive action – but this is not the experience of many of those polled. It’s really important companies accept their responsibilities in protecting customer data,” commented Lipman.