IBM is trusted by U.S. consumers more than any other IT company when it comes to securing and protecting the privacy of their personal information, according to a survey from privacy and information management research firm Ponemon Institute.

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IBM was ranked #2 overall and was the top-rated IT company in Ponemon's annual Most Trusted Companies for Privacy study. This is the third consecutive year that consumers recognized IBM at the most trusted IT company.

"We are honored to be recognized by consumers as the most trusted business-to-business company in Ponemon Institute's survey," said Harriet Pearson, vice president, Security Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at IBM. "As data rapidly moves from the desktop to the cloud, consumers are more aware and concerned than ever about the security and privacy of their personal and sensitive information. IBMers worldwide are committed to delivering trusted and secure technologies, services and solutions that protect the privacy of our clients' most valuable and critical assets and operations."

In addition to ranking the most trusted companies, the Ponemon study reported that only 41 percent of consumers feel they have control over their personal information, down from 45 last year and an overall drop from 56 percent in 2006. The survey also noted that identity theft is a top area of concern among consumers with fifty-nine percent of the respondents indicating that fear of identity theft was a major factor in brand trust diminishment, while 50 percent said notice of a data breach was a factor.

"The security of personal information is more important than ever to consumers and brand trust is closely associated with whether or not individuals believe that a company can provide privacy protection," said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder, Ponemon Institute.

The Ponemon survey rankings were derived from responses given by 6,627 U.S. adults that included more than 38,000 individual company ratings, 229 of which were mentioned at least twenty times.

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SOURCE: IBM