52 percent of consumers would pay more for products with better data security

According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Vanson Bourne and commissioned by FireEye, 52% of respondents would consider paying more for the same products or services from a provider with better data security, and the same percentage said security is an important or main consideration when making purchases.

The survey also finds that 78% of consumers are cautious about organizations ability to keep their data safe, and 54% of consumers feel more negatively about organizations that have been breached.

72% of respondents say they now share less personal information with companies than they used to. 90% of respondents say they expect to be informed within 24 hours if their service provider has suffered a data breach which could have compromised their data, and 59% said they would take legal action against a company if a data breach resulted in their personal information being used for criminal purposes.

76% of consumers say they would likely take their business elsewhere in response to negligent data handling practices, and 75% said they would likely stop purchasing from a company if a data breach was found to have been linked to the companys board failing to prioritize cyber security.

A separate survey of more than 320 IT professionals found that while 95% of respondents believe a data breach at a third-party supplier or partner could expose valuable data, only 44% said their organizations require partners and suppliers to pass security audits before they sign a contract with them. The survey, commissioned by Tripwire and conducted by Dimensional Research, also found that 25% of respondents dont evaluate whether suppliers meet their security requirements, and 34% acknowledged that they work with suppliers and partners that fail to meet their security standards.