​Kiwis Rank Telcos, Government and Banking Organisations More Likely to Suffer a Data Breach Than Other Industries, Unisys Research Finds

Airlines perceived as much less likely to have a data breach

Wellington, 15 July, 2015 – New research from Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) finds New Zealanders believe telecommunications companies, government agencies and banks are more likely to suffer an accidental or malicious breach of their personal data in the next 12 months than many other types of organisations.

Unisys Security Insights¹ is a global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a range of security issues. The study, conducted in New Zealand by Newspoll, surveyed 503 adults during April 2015.

The survey asked consumers in 12 countries about the likelihood that their personal data held by seven types of organisations (airlines, banking/finance, government, healthcare, retail, telecom, and utilities) would be accessed by an unauthorised person, accidently or deliberately, within the next year.

Fifty-three percent of New Zealanders surveyed expect a breach of their personal data held by a telco within the next 12 months. The majority of New Zealand respondents say a data breach is not likely at an airline, healthcare provide or utility such as a power or water supplier.

"This survey reveals which organisations Kiwis don't trust to protect their personal information," said Mr Steve Griffin, country manager, Unisys New Zealand. "Consumer trust must be earned. To build public confidence, an organisation needs to not only take preventative measures, but also communicate to their target customers that they have taken those measures. Such an investment can offer a competitive advantage between brands within a category."

% of New Zealanders expecting a data breach in the next 12 months by industry:

"Many Kiwis have experienced a data breach or have seen media reports of breaches by telcos, government and banks, so they expect data breaches in those organisations. However, telcos and government would do well to learn from the way banks quickly communicate breaches to their customers to minimise the impact and rebuild confidence," Mr Griffin says.

"Airlines are currently the most trusted type of organisation for Kiwis. However, they will need to work to maintain this trust as they continue to capture more and more information about their passengers in a bid to provide personalised end-to-end services such as delivering luggage direct to hotels – as well as assisting with border security measures," he warns.

"Previous Unisys research² revealed data breaches impact a consumer's willingness to deal with an organisation. The majority of New Zealanders surveyed in 2011 (80 percent) said that they would stop dealing with an organisation if their data was breached. This highlights that public confidence in an organisation's ability to protect data needs to be a business priority, not a mere IT issue," Mr Griffin explains.  

¹About Unisys Security Insights

Unisys Security Insights is global research that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a range of security related issues. The survey was conducted in April and May 2015 by Lieberman Research group in Latin America, Europe, Malaysia and the U.S.; and by Newspoll in Australia and New Zealand. Responses are from nearly 11,000 people in 12 countries: Australia, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, visit www.unisys.com/securityinsights.

²Unisys Security Index research 2011 – The New Zealand public was asked what actions they would take if they found out their personal information being held by an organisation had been accessed by an unauthorised person.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that solves organizations' most pressing IT and business challenges. With more than 20,000 employees serving clients around the world, our offerings include cloud and infrastructure services, application services, business process outsourcing services, and high-end server technology.  For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Unisys Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan and through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region.  For more information visit www.unisys.co.nz. Follow us on www.twitter.com/UnisysAPAC. 

Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Contact:

Allan Botica, Botica Butler Raudon Partners, 09 303 3862
allanb@botica.co.nz

Claire Hosegood, Unisys Asia Pacific, +61 411 253 663
claire.hosegood@au.unisys.com