• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 27, 2017

Don’t get too wrapped up in Cyber Monday euphoria. A study shows that consumers still view the online experience with a bilious eye -- especially when it comes to privacy, according to a study by the Global Cyber Alliance.

In the U.S., for example, 35% have pulled back on a purchase because of security fears. Worse, 68% of U.S. consumers have clicked on a link in an email that has led them to somewhere they didn’t expect. In the UK, it’s 60%.

In Germany, 55% have abandoned purchases, compared with 45% in the UK and 38% in France.

But don’t get smug about the Europeans: There’s plenty of other bad news back in the U.S.Only half feel they  can determine whether an online shopping site is legitimate and/or safe. And 60% have had their computer infected with malware. In addition, 50% have visited sites that they feared could do harm to their computers or devices. In addition, 77% have mistyped a website address and been taken to a different site.

Moreover, 12% lose sleep over worries that they will be scammed online, and 27% said that this fear in general causes excessive worry .

And security protections? In America, only 16% feel comfortable using a free cybersecurity product in exchange for sharing personal data about their online behavior. Only 4% have given their ISP permission to share with their activity with marketers.

Just a little damper for your holiday. 

The Alliance worked with Zogby Analytics to survey 1,019 consumers in the U.S., 602 in France, 633 in Germany and 611 in the UK.