Company releases white paper and hosts webinar on pertinent issues for consumers and businesses.
BETHESDA, MD. – Generali Global Assistance, part of the multinational Generali Group, and the developer of a proprietary and innovative identity and digital protection platform, announced the release of an educational white paper and corresponding webinar, titled, "Gifting Your Customers the Promise of Protection." These initiatives continue the Company's campaign to educate businesses and consumers alike on identity theft, with a specific focus on the holiday season.
The two-part series outlines in detail the surge in opportunities for identity thieves during the holidays, the resulting impact on consumer confidence, what companies can do to alleviate these concerns, and more. Many variables lead to heightened identity theft risks during the holidays, including increased travel, use of unsecure public Wi-Fi networks, online shopping and charity scams. According to Generali Global Assistance's recently released Holiday Survey, three in four holiday shoppers are either very concerned (29%) or somewhat concerned (46%) about their financial or personal information being compromised due to a data breach this season.
Paige Schaffer, President and COO of Generali Global Assistance's Identity and Digital Protection Services Global Unit, commented on today's news, "During the holidays, most consumers spend more money, find themselves in crowded areas more often, and overall may be less attentive to identity protection best practices at this busy time of year. Unfortunately, these factors can create prime conditions for identity thieves, and high-profile data breaches or other cyber incidents have resulted in declining consumer confidence. While individuals undoubtedly need to take steps to ensure their identities are protected, it is also critical for companies to provide their customers with identity protection solutions in order to enhance peace of mind."
40 percent of consumers believe that businesses are not doing all they can to protect their personal information, according to Generali Global Assistance's survey, while 84% of Americans say their willingness to do businesses with a retailer would be impacted if the retailer experienced a data breach. However, 55% of consumers would have more confidence that businesses are actively working to protect their data and reduce their risk of identity theft if these businesses were to offer identity protection services. Moreover, recent Generali Global Assistance research revealed that consumers prefer to purchase an identity protection solution from companies they already trust, including their bank (50%), credit union (43%) or credit card company (40%).
Ms. Schaffer continued, "Adding an identity protection program to your organization's current offerings demonstrates how much you care for your customers, particularly around the holidays. Consumers largely already trust their financial institutions, and 58 percent of Americans plan to purchase identity protection services in the next two years. Therefore, it is a natural next step for these organizations to extend identity protection to their customers. An identity protection offering such as that offered by Generali Global Assistance will act as a positive extension of your brand, increasing touchpoints to keep your customers engaged."
Ms. Schaffer concluded, "While 79 percent of consumers are worried about being a victim of a data breach this holiday season, a few simple preventative measures can help to mitigate these and other identity-related risks. Our white paper and webinar provide critical information for protecting identities, including the importance of businesses offering identity protection services. I look forward to joining my fellow webinar participants in utilizing our collective expertise to educate attendees on identity theft dangers – and solutions – during the holiday season and beyond."
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