The majority of UK consumers are becoming increasingly aware of security-related issues when shopping online, according to research.

Some 98 per cent of 945 web shoppers polled by vendor PayPoint.net perform at least one security check on web sites, while more than 90 per cent look at three or more security features – such as the padlock icon on the browser window, clear refund and returns policy or customer testimonials – before proceeding to pay for items or services online.

Larger brands are more likely to attract online customers, with 97 per cent of those surveyed preferring to shop with bigger businesses instead of using smaller web sites. This suggests that more people would turn to small businesses if clearer guarantees of payment security were visible, says the study.

But accessibility ranked higher than data protection, as 80 per cent of those polled said they would trust a site that was easy to use regardless of its security features. Presentation is another relevant factor influencing choices in web shopping, with 69 per cent saying they are inclined to shop with a well-designed site.

“It is surprising more people don’t gravitate towards smaller businesses, given the very advanced levels of security awareness uncovered by the survey," said James Roper, chief executive of industry body Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).

"The paradox is that smaller companies’ security may well be better than that of their much larger rivals. We urge consumers to remain vigilant, while taking advantage of the better service, wider choice and lower prices which smaller online businesses can offer,” he said.

A separate study carried out by The Swiss Institute of Technology, Google and IBM suggests that almost half the global online population is jeopardising its security due to outdated security updates to their browsers.

Firefox users are the most likely to update their browsers regularly (83 per cent), while Internet Explorer users are less likely to update their browser software (47 per cent), according to the survey. Some 65 per cent of Safari users run regular updates and 56 per cent of Opera users install the most up-to-date versions of the browser.

"Failure to apply patches promptly or missing them entirely is a recipe for disaster," said the report.