Ncc Regulatory News (NCC)

RNS Reach

28 November 2014

NCC Group plc

NCC Group commissioned 'Trust in the Internet' poll

NCC Group plc (LSE: NCC, "NCC" or "the Group"), the international, independent provider of Escrow, Assurance and Domain Services, has published 'Trust in the Internet,' a poll carried out in collaboration with IDG Research Services into consumers' online behaviours and their perceptions around online security. The survey results are outlined below.

Almost eight out of ten people (77%) do not feel very safe when shopping online. The poll also found that 64% of consumers believe that they are likely to be a victim of a security breach within the next 12 months. 23% revealed they are doing less online due to security concerns.

Key statistics:

· 59% of people are uncomfortable sharing sensitive financial and personal information online

· 62% of consumers say they are more concerned about online security now than they have ever been

· Only 8% of consumers say they strongly agree that they are comfortable sharing financial details and completing financial transactions online overall

· 56% of consumers said that in order to complete online transactions, they often must share information that they would normally not feel comfortable sharing online

· 68% of consumers say they would be more likely to do business with companies within an online community made up of secure/safe websites, where only verified brands operate

Rob Cotton, CEO of NCC Group, said:

"The convenience of online shopping is a significant pull for many consumers and spend around peak retail periods has increased year-on-year.

"Demand on retailers to address security is reaching a critical point. The recent spate of high profile data breaches has clearly had an impact on online trust and consumers are now placing responsibility squarely with retailers to tackle this issue.

"Some 84% of consumers believe companies should compensate customers financially for their loss if they experience a breach.

"Businesses now need to step up and make securing their customers' data a top priority. The consequences of not doing so threaten the integrity and performance of businesses and the Internet as a whole."

The festive period in particular gives rise to increased phishing and cyber-attacks, and the introduction of more than 1,400 new domains to the Internet - the biggest change to take place since its creation - is set to make this problem even worse.

NCC Group aims to provide a safer and more trustworthy Internet for both businesses and consumers through the .trust domain. Businesses will soon be able to register for their own .trust domain, which will help protect an organisation's brand, reputation and sensitive customer information by enforcing the highest level of security and reliability. For consumers, it will provide a clear signal that a site is a safe place to do business, interact and share information.

For more details and additional data surrounding the survey, including an infographic with detailed results, please visit: https://www.nccgroup.com/trustintheinternet/

Enquiries:

Note to editors

Survey methodology

The NCC Group survey was conducted in collaboration with IDG Research Services to gain new insight into consumers' online behaviors and to understand perceptions around online security. Data collection took place online among US and UK consumers 18 years or older during October 2014.

A total of 10,000 consumers (5,000 from the US and 5,000 from the UK) who regularly use the Internet for transactional activities such as online banking and shopping or managing investments or healthcare services, completed the survey.

Participants were fairly equally split by gender (51% female; 49% male) and represent a range of age groups: 36% under the age of 35, 27% between 35 and 49 years old, and 37% age 50 or older.

About NCC Group

Listed on the London Stock Exchange, NCC Group is a trusted advisor to more than 15,000 clients worldwide. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, NCC Group has 20 offices across the world and employs over 1,000 specialists in information security, assurance and technology.

NCC Group delivers security consulting, software escrow and verification, website performance, software testing and domain services.

About IDG Research Services

IDG Research Services specialises in marketing and media-related research for technology marketers. As a division of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading technology media, data, and services company, IDG Research Services brings the resources and experience of a large, global company to its clients in the form of a small, customer-focused business. For more information please visit http://idgresearch.com/.