In parallel with the growing reliance on technology in the world of business, the need for resilience against cyber threats is increasing, too...
A staggering 25% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack or incident last year, according to Aviva, with that number rising to 35% for large corporate businesses.
In fact, cyber security poses such a risk to UK businesses that they’re 67% more likely to have experienced a cyber incident than a physical theft. To combat this, businesses typically rely solely upon internal security measures, such as training staff to spot potential risks, installing firewalls, and controlling access to systems, forgetting about the external risk factors that they should also mitigate.
In this blog, we explore how a good customer experience can be a great asset to your defences.
Though internal security is paramount, it’s important to also recognise the role your customers play in ensuring resilience.
As the primary interactors with your business’s online presence, customers who frequently visit your website, utilise your mobile apps, or depend in some way upon your technology offering are the first to spot anything out of the ordinary. And when those customers are quick to flag their concerns, your infrastructure teams can resolve the problem before hackers even knew it was there.
In contrast, when customers avoid engaging with you due to a clunky customer experience or difficult-to-navigate interface, they’re much less likely to raise any flags. The same is true of dissatisfied customers, who although may engage often and therefore be well-positioned to spot any problems, are less likely to flag concerns than those who are happy with their overall experience.
Furthermore, even when your internal developers are quick to fix software vulnerabilities and send out patch updates to end-users, this effort is wasted when such updates are not accepted. Again, whilst satisfied customers are likely to pay attention to update prompts and trust their validity, dissatisfied or distrusting customers may be less likely to comply.
Ultimately, satisfied customers are secure customers, who are more likely to proactively report suspicious activity, and less likely to cause unpatched security holes.
Happy customers are the key to proactive vulnerability detection and improved patch management.
Building an exceptional customer experience is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. It requires constant attention, improvement, and adaptation to the changing needs and expectations of your customers and the evolving threats and challenges of the digital world.
By following these tips, you can create a strong, positive, and lasting bond with your customers, whilst gaining a competitive edge in the market and tightening your defences:
As mentioned above, a clunky and difficult user interface can lead to disconnection and dissatisfaction.
An easy-to-use interface that elicits a positive customer experience however can ensure users stay engaged, remain content, and are well-positioned to spot and report on something out of the ordinary. Any new features, including security features, must therefore enhance, not hinder, the user experience.
Trust is a two-way street, so it’s important that you’re transparent with your customers about security measures and data handling to gain their trust.
Additionally, you must also ensure that you have the tools and processes in place to enable customers to be transparent about any security concerns they may have. Implementing omnichannel feedback channels is a great way to make reporting suspicious activity a breeze for your customers.
When customers do flag any concerns, employees must know how to handle the interaction and escalate the concern.
It’s important not only for employees to act as security ambassadors and help mitigate risks, but also for them to appropriately address customer concerns and ensure customers feel that their feedback is valid, important, and will be promptly addressed.
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