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Anonymizer, Inc. E-Commerce Poll Confirms Shoppers Have Online Safety Savvy, Yet Fail to Use Right Tools to Protect Identity, Personal Information As They Shop
San Diego, CA – January 26, 2011 – Anonymizer, Inc., the leader in consumer online anonymity solutions, today announced the results of a survey which examined online shopping habits. According to the survey, 89% of respondents take security measures to protect their online purchases. However, of the top three measures that respondents believe protect them while they shop, only one is actually an effective tool for protecting their identity and personal information.
Anti-virus software (75%), firewalls (74%), and using only sites that display ‘https’ in their browser’s address bar during the checkout process (58%) topped the list of online shopping safety measures. While anti-virus software and firewalls can guard data and information already on a computer, neither can protect consumers as they engage in e-commerce.
“While it’s encouraging that consumers are aware of the steps needed to guard themselves as they shop online, it’s also concerning that they aren’t employing all available tools to maximize their protection,” said Chaminda Wijetilleke, Vice President of Consumer Products, Anonymizer, Inc. “Without tools that hide an IP address or shield their identity as they shop using Wi-Fi connections, consumers and their personal information are not thoroughly protected.”
Other findings from the survey include:
- Consumers are keenly aware that their shopping behaviors are heavily monitored online:
- 85% believe online vendors record and track their purchases.
- 82% believe their online shopping behaviors could be sold to online commerce sites without their knowledge.
- 73% believe search engines record prior purchases.
- 60% believe social media sites capture online shopping behavior.
- Although the availability of smartphones, mobile shopping sites and shopping apps continues to increase, only 28% of respondents use their mobile device to make purchases. Of these respondents, 32% indicated that the number of purchases they make has increased since 2009, while 8% responded that the number of mobile purchases they make has decreased.
About Anonymizer
As the global leader in online privacy, anonymity, and identity protection solutions, Anonymizer continues to push the envelope with products that allow consumers and organizations to remain safe, secure, and anonymous each time they go online. The company’s proprietary technologies address the needs of home users, businesses and other customers. With a pristine 15-year history of protecting customer online identities, Anonymizer’s products have set the standard in Internet privacy, and protected billions of web searches and personal communications. To learn more, visit us at ww.anonymizer.com, follow us on Twitter, , or “like” us on Facebook.
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