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Public Service

Security: Build confidence

September 27, 2022 5-MINUTE READ

As governments look to build trust through experiences, protecting and securing people’s personal information has to be a priority.

Not surprisingly, people’s concerns about the security of their personal information influence their views of public service experiences—and their confidence in these interactions. Many Canadians are concerned about governments' ability to secure their personal information and use it appropriately.

This skepticism reveals a troubling confidence gap. It’s fair to assume that most people intuitively understand there are very real threats to government assets, websites and infrastructure given the world we live in. Closing this confidence gap is key to making people feel more comfortable accessing public services.

Addressing this data security issue goes beyond a technology fix. It is also a critically important training issue for the government workforce. Employee learning doesn’t change public confidence, but it can help to prevent future breaches, which can further erode confidence. Training approaches should go beyond checking regulatory boxes. Truly changing behaviour starts with engaging content and human-centered learning models. Because human fallibility is every organization’s biggest security risk

What’s heartening is that despite the confidence gap and security-related concerns, people are willing to share more data with government if it improves service delivery. This finding highlights the critical relationship between service quality and confidence in government.

56%

of Canadians are comfortable sharing more data with government if it means more convenient and efficient service delivery.

56%

of Canadians are confident that the government are using data for what they say.

28%

of Canadian public servants say they receive cyber and data security training.

Government organizations that deliver secure experiences are creating a strong foundation for trust that can ultimately influence how individuals view government.

"Trust is the currency in public service."

— Public service executive

About the Authors

Eyal Darmon

Managing Director – Strategy & Consulting, Public Service

Kevin Ellenwood

Managing Director – Accenture Song, Public Service Customer Experience

Jenny Brodie

Senior Manager – Health & Public Service, Research

Contributors

Naomi Manley-Casimir

Managing Director – Accenture Song, Canada

Joel Marchildon

Managing Director – Health and Public Service, Canada

David Ransom

Director – Accenture Song Canada, Federal Public Service

Megan Seres

Managing Director – Public Service, Canada

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