Fear of Cybercrime: Lessons for the Global e-Banking Sector

We all do business online in one form or another and in this new globalised dispensation, e-Banking has helped to vastly enhance the symbiotic relationship between banks and their customers. But, there are also challenges; some technological in the form of hardware and software deficiencies and some non-technological such as issues of consumer trust and confidence and access to ICTs. One threat not addressed in the electronic banking literature however, is Fear. In Fear of Cybercrime: Lessons for the Global E-Banking Sector, Lloyd Waller, Corin Bailey and Stephen Johnson address this gap by examining the extent to which fear of cybercrime threatens e-banking. How persons view crime, how much they fear it and their responding actions are examined in the context of the pervasiveness of information technology and the influence of news media. A must-read for bankers and policymakers in particular, but also for academics, Fear of Cybercrime is a useful tool in guiding industry players as to the strategies necessary to lower consumer risk perception and increase protection of personal data.