Many companies have invested significant amounts of money in programs and technologies to improve cybersecurity—the protection of consumer data, enterprise information, and intellectual property. But while cybersecurity is often seen in terms of the cost of mitigation—or the ramifications of a breach—it is also a business driver and can be a source of competitive advantage in the retail sector. We probed this issue in a global survey of over 6,000 consumers and 200 retail executives, as well as in interviews with experienced cybersecurity executives. The research methodology at the end of this report provides further details. Our research reveals that customer satisfaction and spending can drastically be improved by cybersecurity and data protection assurance. Yet, very few retailers are leveraging this opportunity to gain competitive advantage. This report: • Explores how cybersecurity and data protection is a business driver • Assesses retailers’ understanding of consumer expectations for cybersecurity and data privacy • Quantifies the gains for a retailer with a robust cybersecurity and data protection system • Provides recommendation on how retailers can leverage cybersecurity and data privacy to drive value and growth.