Building Customer Trust Through Transparency and Proactive Cybersecurity Measures

Last updated: August 7, 2024

What motivates a customer to buy from you repeatedly? Every department in your organisation might claim credit: exceptional products, effective marketing, outstanding sales, etc. However, the reality is that it’s the collective efforts of your entire organisation driving one common goal: customer trust.

Customer trust relies on the consistent security efforts of an organisation – the rising threats, sophisticated hackers and frequent data breaches have redefined the relationship every industry has with cybersecurity. It is the critical element that influences business buyers, procurement teams and in-house security agents.

As a result, customer trust and cybersecurity are merging into a single, unified focus for mid-market and enterprise leaders alike. The growing awareness of data risks, transparency regarding product integrity and market demand for trustworthy solutions have inspired strategic shifts towards earning and maintaining customer trust through cybersecurity.

This article explores:

  1. What is customer trust?
  2. Why customer trust is important in the enterprise
  3. How to build customer trust
  4. The relationship between customer trust and cybersecurity

1. What is Customer Trust?

At Dasuni, we define customer trust as a buyer’s lasting confidence in a seller’s security capabilities. While it may seem straightforward, it’s essential to understand that customer trust starts with being genuinely trustworthy.

– Influences on Customer Trust

Customer trust results from repeated positive experiences, open communication and ethical behaviour.
Understanding customer trust means knowing what trust itself entails — setting expectations, facilitating interaction with your company, communicating your commitment to meet those expectations and then taking action to fulfil them. Customer trust is built over time and forms the foundation of successful customer relationships. Like any form of trust, it is difficult to earn and easy to lose.

2. Why customer trust is important in the enterprise

Technology buyers have become more discerning in their assessment of vendors’ security postures. Even after an agreement is reached, trust can erode if security is not continuously reinforced, often ending the relationship.

Customer trust is the foundation for stronger relationships, loyalty and sustained success. When customers trust your company, they’re more engaged, more vocal about it and more forgiving when incidents occur.

– Benefits of Customer Trust in Today’s Environment

Low levels of customer trust lead to lower deal fulfilment and higher churn. Strong customer trust reduces churn and increases renewals and new deals. It is one of the most important qualitative indicators of your business’s health. Customer trust builds a sense of security with your brand, reducing uncertainty to increase loyalty and advocacy. Without it, maintaining long-term relationships and repeat business is impossible. So how is customer trust built?

3. How to Build Customer Trust

Customer trust cannot be achieved overnight — it cannot be bought, forced or faked. This presents a strong challenge and opportunity for every business. Building and maintaining strong customer relationships require ongoing effort. Customer trust demands consistent demonstrations of trustworthiness through business actions, communication, and overall customer experience. Developing it requires a focus on several concerted tactics.

– Fulfil Promises

One critical aspect of trust is delivering on promises, i.e. meeting buyers’ expectations. For cybersecurity leaders, this means exceeding expectations and taking an active stance in customer relationships. By proactively communicating with customers — whether updating them on improvements or responding to a potential breach — customer trust evolves from a passive to an active tactic.

– Be Transparent

Transparency means being easy to perceive or detect. For leaders, this means moving security information out from behind the proverbial veil and embedding it within buyer and customer communications. Documentation and ongoing communication should be organised, well-articulated and easily accessible, reducing customer hurdles in understanding your company’s security protocols and procedures.

– Prioritise Connection

Customer trust is powered by intentionality — making each interaction, decision and experience as open and frictionless as possible. For cybersecurity leaders, this means reducing complications in the third-party risk assessment process and eliminating excessive back-and-forth in security reviews. Prioritising connection involves seamless communication of inquiries, concerns, and information flow between vendors and customers.

– Segment Control

Security teams should control sensitive information and documentation — not the customer or other internal stakeholders. Segmented control sets clear parameters around who receives access to what information and for how long, with consistent oversight of established controls. This maintains the accuracy and privacy of secure information, enhancing customer trust.

– Empower Top-to-Bottom Alignment

Customer trust must be an aligned effort from top to bottom and cybersecurity teams must push for increased visibility of their work at the leadership level and beyond. Every initiative and decision should aim to strengthen alliances with go-to-market teams, including sales and customer success. Only then can an entire organisation capitalise on the opportunities presented by cybersecurity and customer trust, despite increasing buyer scrutiny and sophisticated threats.

4. The Relationship Between Customer Trust and Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity threats are no longer anomalies — they are the biggest challenge faced by companies managing customer data and privacy. Customer concern around personal information protection is growing. Organisations prioritising cybersecurity are more likely to gain customer trust.

This occurs because customer trust and cybersecurity create a positive feedback loop. A strong cybersecurity posture reinforces the integrity and ongoing confidence of buyers and customers. The reinforcing relationship between customer trust and cybersecurity elevates the work of cybersecurity teams, reflecting their true value: improved trust and the achievement of the company’s strategic goals.

Outcomes of Customer Trust and Cybersecurity

As market uncertainty and security complexities evolve, businesses vigilant about cybersecurity are inherently vigilant about customer trust. Investing in cybersecurity creates a cascade of positive business outcomes: shortened deal cycles, higher-value contracts and stronger long-term customer confidence.

Forward-thinking security and GRC leaders invest significantly in developing strong security postures and take the extra step to proactively enhance customer trust through cybersecurity.

At Dasuni, we specialise in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions designed to build and maintain customer trust. Partner with us to achieve the highest standards in cybersecurity and customer trust. Contact us today to learn how we can support your business in this critical endeavour.

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