Call for e-retail security kitemark

UK online retailers should be able to qualify for a kitemark to prove that their website is secure, according to a report commissioned by the Government and designed to combat fears over how consumer data is handled.
The report, produced by Pierre Audoin Consultants for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), recommends that the government department introduces the scheme to improve business opportunities as well as boost compliance.
It said this would mitigate “the potential cost to industry of data breaches” and ease the burden on the “UK economy of business potentially being conducted elsewhere if firms are not trusted to be secure”.
The consultancy called on BIS to do more to raise awareness of cyber security matters after it identified that companies are often either unsure how to respond to threats publicised in the media or “don’t really care”.
“While we recognise that BIS has made some effort in this regard, for example through the ‘10 Steps’ documents, a consistent and persistent programme is required,” the report said. “We think that this should be driven through ‘influencer’ bodies that have the reach and impact required.”
The report also called on the Government to do more to promote the importance of cyber security within the boardrooms of large UK businesses, and to work with the Institute of Directors to ensure company directors are trained in cyber security.
It added: “Ideally, an economic model of cyber risk that allowed finance directors to make appropriate provision would be valuable, and would gain board-level attention. Insurance companies may have a role to play in valuations of cyber liability, although more research into this area is required.”