Two in five U.S. adults would switch physicians and 35 percent would switch hospitals if their personal information was stolen, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive.
The survey results are based on the responses of 2,061 adults collected in August 2013. In total, two-thirds of U.S. adults said they would not return to a business or organization if their personal information had been stolen in a data breach.
"With every data breach comes a cost, including lost productivity, a damaged reputation, and most importantly, decreased revenue when customers take their business elsewhere," said John Otten, marketing manager of Cintas, the company that commissioned the study, in a news release. "This research confirms that by failing to make security a priority, businesses can discourage once-loyal customers from returning. It could also stop potential customers from ever patronizing your business."
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