With data breaches hitting the news increasingly, many fed-up consumers are holding the targeted companies accountable, according to a new study.
Of 2,000 consumers surveyed by Mountain View security company HyTrust, 51 percent said they d take their business elsewhere if their social security number, credit-card details or other personal information was compromised by a data breach.
That sentiment was especially strong among consumers aged 35-44, with about 60 percent of them saying they d do business elsewhere.
Among other findings, about 46 percent of those polled say they blame the companies involved the moment a data breach occurs, while 12 percent blame firms only if a breach happens more than once.
Compromised social security information is particularly worrisome to people with relatively high incomes. About 37 percent of those earning $50,000 to $74,000 annually call that sort of theft the most serious, compared with about 23 percent of those earning $24,000 or less.
In addition, about 18 percent of women surveyed said they worry about the loss of family photos or other mementos, versus just under 10 percent of men who share that concern.
Illustration by KRT archives
