71 percent of Americans concerned over data breaches during holiday shopping season

The survey also found that 91% of Americans plan to shop during the holiday season, with the top three shopping options being: brick-and-mortar (65%), online via a laptop / desktop computer (59%), and mobile devices (36%). Whether they are at brick-and-mortar or online stores, 64% of holiday shoppers plan to shop at 2-5 stores, with another 23% saying they will shop at 6-10 stores.

Regardless of the preferred shopping method, 33% of consumers say businesses are not doing all they can to protect their personal information. Moreover, if a retailer experienced a data breach in the past, 83% of shoppers feel concerned making an online or in-store purchase at that retailer.

When it comes to identity theft, data breaches from online merchants (51%) far outweighed other risks on shoppers’ minds. Another 20% believed brick-and-mortar point-of-sale systems cause a threat to identity theft.

To ease consumer anxiety, the survey found that 55% of Americans would feel more confident if a business is actively working to protect their data and reduce risk if they offered identity protection services. Likewise, retail businesses that either offer identity protection services or that plan to do so in the future instill greater confidence in 68% of Americans, a 12% increase from 2017.

As concerns over data breaches grow, the most popular form of payment for holiday purchases this year will be cash (56%). Debit (52%) and credit cards (45%) were a close second and third. In 2017, the most popular form of payment for holiday purchases was through a credit card (57%).