As organizations adapt digital platforms to meet customer needs and expectations, they must balance the risk of eroding trust with the opportunities to enhance it. Digital trust has emerged as the new digital currency, surpassing customer experience as the top strategic priority, and has become the bedrock for all personal and business transactions. Building a successful digital trust program is a continuous journey that requires proactive responses to evolving threats, technological changes, and regulatory requirements.

Earning customer trust is crucial, and organizations must embed digital trust principles into their business operations. Low digital trust can lead to negative consequences, including revenue loss and customer defection, while high digital trust can bring benefits such as increased revenue, stronger customer loyalty, and a positive reputation.

To implement an effective digital trust program, organizations must tailor it to their specific business strategies and priorities. They should define the scope and select relevant digital trust goals and attributes; conduct a digital trust score assessment to identify gaps and mitigation measures; and prioritize and implement actions to increase digital trust levels. This process helps align stakeholders and ensures that the program receives the necessary resources for success. Each organization's unique context and objectives will influence the design and implementation of their digital trust initiatives, making one-size-fits-all solutions impractical.

Alan Tang
Principal Research Director, Security & Privacy
Info-Tech Research Group

• Meeting Customer Expectations: Organizations must adapt their digital platforms to meet evolving customer needs. Any misstep can have severe consequences for their reputation and customer loyalty.
• Tailoring Digital Trust Initiatives: Digital trust programs cannot be one-size-fits-all solutions. Each organization has its unique business strategies, priorities, and objectives which influence the design and implementation of their digital trust initiatives.
• Continuous Adaptation to a Changing Landscape: The digital era is constantly evolving, bringing new technologies, threats, and regulatory requirements. Building and maintaining digital trust is an ongoing journey that demands proactive and dynamic responses to an evolving threat landscape.

• Focus on Immediate Customer Experience: Organizations often prioritize delivering rich and diverse digital customer experiences to attract and retain customers. The focus on immediate customer satisfaction may overshadow the long-term implications of not having a robust digital trust program in place.
• Resource Constraints: Designing and implementing a comprehensive digital trust program requires significant resources, including financial investments and skilled personnel. Many organizations struggle to allocate these resources, especially if they are already stretched thin by other business priorities.
• Complexity and Rapid Technological Advancements: New technologies, cyber threats, and regulatory changes require continuous adaptation, making it difficult for organizations to keep up and design a comprehensive program that addresses all potential risks and opportunities.

• Embedded Principles: Organizations can ensure that digital trust isn't treated as an afterthought by embedding trust principles into all customer-facing business processes.
• Balanced Approach: As organizations adapt their digital platforms to evolving customer needs, they must balance the risk of eroding trust with opportunities to fortify it.
• Comprehensive Assessment: Select the most relevant digital trust goals, principles, and attributes, and conduct a digital trust score assessment to identify gaps and measures to close them.

Source: “State of Digital Trust,” ISACA, 2023

Respondents say organizations with a low level of digital trust often experience the consequences such as negative impact on revenue, loss of customers, etc.

ISACA survey respondents report that high levels of digital trust can lead to benefits such as higher revenue, stronger customer loyalty, positive reputation, etc.

Source: “State of Digital Trust,” ISACA, 2023

• Fraud Detection and Prevention
• Robust Security Measures
• Transparency and Communication
• Customer Education
• Multi-Factor Authentication

• Enhanced Trust
• Positive Reputation
• Reduced Fraud Losses
• Increased Digital Adoption
• Competitive Advantage

• Reliability & Accessibility
• Functionality & Usability
• Customer Support & Redressability

• Frictionless Digital Identity
• Seamless Data Integration
• Effortless Service Transition

• Security Measures
• Privacy Protection
• Regulatory & Compliance

• Transparency and Explainability
• Fair and Responsible Practices
• User Controllability