(Length: 11 pages)

February 24, 2005

Rebuilding Consumers' Trust In The Internet

by Jonathan Penn

with Bill Doyle, Adele Sage

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Consumers are losing trust in the Internet as a channel for doing business as computer attacks on consumers and companies mount. Companies must respond by addressing security in a way that aligns with consumer concerns, providing four types of protection: identity assurance, usage assurance, service assurance, and privacy assurance. They must also highlight security as an integrated feature of their services in order to address the emotional issues around lost confidence and trust. Thus, smart companies will aggressively pursue and promote new technologies that offer such consumer protections, similar to the way today's automobile manufacturers market safety.