People are sharing more information online than ever before.
This presents huge opportunities for businesses that engage those audiences, but also exposes the risk of information security. Data privacy is a serious concern for many, especially when using a new online platform. This can make people hesitant to engage and share private information in the form of an online survey.
For this reason, it’s vital to use Australian online survey platforms that ensure the protection of private data.
Benefits of surveys
Surveys provide significant benefits to various businesses and organisations, from retail and the private sector, to government and education.
A quick, easy and inexpensive way to collect large quantities of data, surveys provide insights on the opinions, attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours of their audiences.
Surveys are often the first tool used to better understand how customers feel about products and services, how employees feel about procedures and workplaces, and how the public feels about community issues.
They can be used to gain data on everything from customer experience, market research, digital marketing, product innovation and sales and business operations.
Surveys offer a simple method for gathering insightful information that may otherwise be inaccessible, to improve services and products or to gauge public opinion.
Data security for surveys
Data security protects information from unauthorised access and misuse by internal or external people. It is the practice and technology which protects valuable and sensitive data, including company and consumer information.
Surveys collect personal information such as contact details, as well as sensitive company information, so the importance of data security cannot be underestimated.
When looking to use surveys, businesses need to choose survey platforms that ensure privacy and transparency to keep sensitive data safe.
Data security of your surveys is crucial to your businesses reputation and protection from financial loss, consumer confidence and brand erosion.
Importance of secure hosting
Australian businesses must adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) for customer data, as outlined in the Privacy Act (1988). The APPs outline how certain businesses, services and organisations must handle, use and manage personal information. That includes the use of third-party software, such as survey tools.
As well as choosing a survey platform that complies with APP, data should be securely stored in Australia. Many survey providers hold data overseas, making it more difficult to ensure data is held securely and confidentially.
Protect your information with secure data collection tools and look for providers that host their survey securely in Australia, such as Australian Survey Research Group (ASR).
Choosing a secure survey platform
Do your research before choosing a survey platform. Make sure they offer secure hosting of data and provide support for data security.
Distributing Australian online surveys through platforms such as ASR’s SurveyManager® offers numerous benefits, including.
- Secure hosting at AWS Sydney Data Centres
- IRAP Accredited hosting compliance for the Australian Public Sector
- 24 x7 on-site monitoring
- Daily and hourly back-ups of your data
- and different AWS availability zones for disaster recovery capabilities.
Using survey enterprise software which provides a secure and easy-to-use solution to design, deploy, and analyse your surveys, no matter what your industry and survey needs, will help you get the most out of your surveys.
Data security, as well as being a priority for businesses, is also important to survey respondents.
When private data collected through surveys is lost or misused, it can be detrimental to the business conducting the survey. It can even lead to lawsuits, which can damage reputations and relationships.
Survey respondents want assurance their personal information will be safe from misuse. For retailers surveying their customers, this is especially important for retaining customer loyalty.
Secure your data
In today’s digital environment, ensuring security, privacy and compliance with personal data is crucial.
While Australian online surveys provide valuable insights, they need to be used carefully, through a trusted platform.
