Turning Trust into a Competitive Advantage with Eckoh's Secure Omnichannel Payments

In an era of rising cyber threats and growing customer expectations, trust has become a powerful competitive differentiator, particularly in the realm of payments. Securing trust is crucial for organizations that handle sensitive customer information, especially in the payments sector. As consumers engage with brands across an ever-expanding landscape of channels, such as web, voice, chat, and social media, they expect seamless and secure experiences. Eckoh is helping businesses turn this expectation into an opportunity with secure omnichannel payment solutions and industry leading experts like Eckoh’s Product Manager, David Youkee.  

With over 9 years of experience helping organizations protect sensitive customer data at Eckoh, David shares how trust can be transformed into a powerful competitive advantage. In a world where data breaches are increasingly common and costly, he explains why businesses must prioritize security, not only to meet compliance standards, but to earn and maintain customer confidence. In this discussion, David provides an insider’s perspective on why secure omnichannel payments are crucial and how Eckoh’s approach helps future-proof brands in an ever-evolving threat landscape. 

Why Trust Matters Now More Than Ever  

Consumers are increasingly aware of data privacy and the risks associated with sharing their information. They want to feel safe when interacting with a brand, particularly when money is involved. "Customers are most vulnerable at the point of payment," said David. "And that's where they expect the highest level of service." He notes that if consumers don't trust the process, they're likely to abandon it entirely or refuse to take that journey again. "Over 80% of consumers will say that if a company's not handling their data in a way that they feel is safe and secure, they will not buy from them again. And that's a staggering amount. That's four out of five people.” 

A data breach, therefore, isn't just a short-term issue. It can have a ripple effect that impacts brand reputation, customer loyalty, and long-term revenue. "The damage done from a loss in trust can have a massive impact. It's not just a matter of months; it can take years for a brand to rebuild trust," said David. 

Recent breaches illustrate this vividly. In February 2024, Change Healthcare, a major U.S. healthcare payment processor, suffered a ransomware attack compromising over 145 million health records. Later that year, LoanDepot suffered a cyberattack that compromised the data of more than 16 million individuals, many of whom had no direct relationship with the company but had their data collected through affiliated services. 

Such events do more than trigger fines; they undermine consumer confidence. Social media and news coverage amplify customer outrage and fear, and the brand's reputation can suffer long after the initial headlines fade. In today's digital world, where trust is fragile and expectations are high, companies that fail to protect customer data risk losing far more than just transactions. They risk losing loyalty, credibility, and their competitive edge. 

Payments: Where Trust is Earned or Lost  

The moment of payment is often when trust is either cemented or broken. David emphasizes that trust must be embedded into every touchpoint, especially in omnichannel experiences. He stated, "Having secure and frictionless payments across all the different channels, whether it's voice or chat or web, doesn't just protect data. It helps build brand trust."  

Customers today expect the ability to interact with a brand through multiple channels and receive consistent, high-quality service across all of them. "They expect to be able to contact a brand through any form of channel or communication stream that's available to them," David explained. "And they don't want to be told they need to switch channels to continue their journey. But they want the ability to switch, should they choose."  

If a customer initiates a payment journey on the web and then transitions to chat or voice, they expect security and ease at every step. So, forcing them to start over or switch due to insecure channels creates frustration and increases the likelihood of abandonment.  

The Real Cost of Data Exposure 

Beyond the damage to trust, the financial implications of a data breach are staggering. "The average data breach in the UK usually costs around £3 million and, in the US, it is more than $9 million," David shared. "Something like two-thirds of breached organizations report much longer-term damage to customer trust. And that's the sort of thing that can last for years." 

The total cost of a breach is rarely limited to a one-time expense. PCI-DSS audit fees alone can range from $20,000 to over $100,000, depending on the scope and complexity of the breach. Each compromised card may incur fines between $50 and $90, and if tens or hundreds of thousands of records are involved, as is often the case, these penalties can soar into the millions. But that's just the beginning. Organizations must also contend with the cost of forensic investigations, legal fees, breach notification efforts, identity theft protection for affected customers, and system overhauls. Post-breach remediation often involves long-term investments in technology upgrades, staff retraining, and, in some cases, rebranding. Additionally, there's potential for litigation, particularly in jurisdictions with robust consumer protection laws.

David also highlighted the competitive risks associated with data breaches. "If your brand experiences a breach, your competitors will swoop in. Even customers who weren't directly impacted by the breach may leave simply because they no longer trust the brand." Competitors are quick to capitalize on reputational damage, often targeting affected customers with messaging that emphasizes security and reliability, qualities now in question for the breached brand. 

When you combine financial losses, operational disruption, regulatory scrutiny, and reputational fallout, it becomes clear: an unsecure system is one of the most expensive liabilities a business can face. Eckoh's secure payment solutions help brands avoid these risks entirely by eliminating sensitive data from vulnerable environments, offering peace of mind and a powerful differentiator in a crowded marketplace. 

Eckoh's Approach: Making Trust the Standard  

For Eckoh, secure omnichannel payments are not a compliance checkbox, but a strategic imperative. "We've taken the stance here at Eckoh that protecting and securing customer engagement is absolutely about securing every channel that a customer could be interacting through," said David. As customer journeys span multiple touchpoints, the need for consistent security becomes imperative. David explained, "You could begin on the web, then move over to chat, and ultimately end up in a phone call. That's a journey we see quite often, and Eckoh's CallGuard and ChatGuard solutions ensure that every one of those steps is secured, even if the customer switches devices or channels." 

David also points out that while web payments have seen significant investment in security, other channels are overlooked. "Voice and chat channels are often neglected because brands assume they are secure. Unfortunately, that's not always the case, and because they are disregarded, they become targets." 

A major contributor to this vulnerability is the risk of social engineering, which involves manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. "The greatest security threat to any company today is the human element," David explains. "It's easier to convince a person to do something risky than bypass a secure system. That's why contact centers are so heavily targeted." Fraudsters often employ tactics such as impersonation, phishing, or using urgent language to deceive agents into disclosing sensitive information or altering payment instructions. 

These threats are particularly pronounced in voice and live chat environments, where real-time interactions give attackers more opportunities to exploit human psychology. And while technical safeguards are crucial, they can't entirely eliminate the risk when people are part of the process. 

That's where Eckoh comes in. By removing sensitive data, like cardholder information, from the conversation entirely, Eckoh's solutions neutralize the risk at its source. Products like CallGuard and ChatGuard ensure that customer payment data never enters the contact center environment, meaning agents can't see, hear, or record it, and malicious actors can't extract it through deception or error. This approach not only protects the brand and customer but also relieves employees from the pressure of handling highly sensitive information. 

Eckoh's layered approach, which secures every channel a customer might use, helps organizations address their most overlooked vulnerabilities while fostering a more resilient, trusted brand experience. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of Secure Payments  

As technology evolves, so do the risks and the strategies required to mitigate them. "Payment security is only going to become more and more relevant as time goes on," said David. "Especially as the different formats and channels available to customers increase." From new digital experiences to the expansion of AI use in customer service, the complexity of the threat landscape is growing rapidly. 

 One of the most critical emerging areas is the security of virtual agents. As organizations increasingly rely on AI-powered chatbots and voice assistants to handle customer interactions, including payments, they must recognize that these systems are just as vulnerable as human agents, if not more. "It would be no surprise if we saw a breach through a virtual agent in the next 12 to 18 months," David warned. "That's why Eckoh has already developed solutions to secure those interactions." 

 David emphasized that in the U.S., where federal regulation regarding data protection remains fragmented, rising breaches may drive a push for tighter legislation. States like California have already moved ahead with consumer privacy laws, but broader change may come as the cost of inaction grows, both financially and in terms of reputation.

Organizations that invest early in compliance and proactive security measures won't just be protected; they'll be ahead of the curve when regulations inevitably catch up. 

At the same time, consumer expectations are evolving. People are increasingly digitally literate and aware of how their data is used and shared. This is especially true among younger generations, who are more likely to avoid brands that lack transparency or strong data safeguards. As customers become more selective, businesses must treat data protection not as an obligation, but as a promise to deliver. 

Ultimately, security cannot be confined to the IT department or driven solely by compliance checklists. It must become part of a company's culture. "Security from an organization's perspective is not just down to the C-Suite or CISO," David noted. "It's about every member of staff." Social engineering remains one of the most common and effective attack vectors because it exploits human behavior. "You can have the best systems in the world, but if someone gets tricked into giving away access, it doesn't matter." 

To underscore the point, David offers a compelling analogy: "If you consider all your customer data is in a safe vault, it only takes one person to convince the janitor to lend them the key. However, with Eckoh, even if they gain access to the vault, there's no sensitive data stored there. That's the kind of security you want." It's a philosophy built not just on barriers, but on removing the very assets that attackers seek, making trust not just a value, but a strategic defense. 

Conclusion: Trust as Strategy  

In an age of escalating cyber threats and growing consumer awareness, trust is no longer optional. It's strategic. Brands that embed security across every customer interaction, in every channel, aren't just protecting data; they're gaining a decisive competitive edge.  

With Eckoh's secure omnichannel payment solutions, organizations can build the kind of trust that not only protects but also propels growth. Because when customers feel safe, they stay loyal, and in today's market, loyalty is everything.