Consumers remain concerned by security of email comms

Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of consumers surveyed by Habeas Inc., a provider of email compliance and reputation management, stated they use email every day, and 96 percent claim to use it every single work day.

Despite this reliance on email for communication, the study found that 62 percent of email users in the U.S. remain significantly worried about their online security. Sixty percent perceived spam to be getting worse.

Habeas has labeled this mistrust an “Email Insecurity Factor”, which could have serious implications for B2C and B2B communications.

"Despite the popularity, ubiquity, cost-effectiveness and targeted nature of email, online relationships and the interactions that enable them are very fragile,” said Des Cahill, CEO, Habeas. “If individuals, marketers, businesses and Web 2.0 communities cannot place their trust in email, the Internet's premier 'killer app' will not reach its full potential as these groups could refrain from using it for higher value interactions."

Many consumers have taken it upon themselves to evade cyber-crime and spam and have opened multiple email accounts. The report found that nearly half of respondents had three or more email accounts. Other users make good use of the spam button in their email program, and 83 percent of those surveyed said they had the option to do so.

Habeas is holding a webinar on this topic in early November, with speakers from OgilvyOne and National Geographic, among others.

Tags: email account, email marketing, security, spam