Roughly half of U.S. bank customers choose their bank primarily because they trust its security, and two in three would consider switching institutions after a serious data breach at their bank, according to a new survey by IT solutions provider Integris.
The firm polled both bank customers and bank executives on their views and knowledge of cybersecurity and technology. It found that 51% of customers rate security as the primary reason for choosing a bank. Only 40% cited malicious attackers stealing bank data as their biggest concern in banking, but 67% said they would consider switching banks after a serious breach. At the same time, 15% said their bank rarely or never communicates about security updates. The survey also found that 52% of bank customers worry that artificial intelligence could wrongly freeze their accounts or block transactions.
As for bank executives, 64% of respondents reported a lack of visibility into total IT spending because costs are scattered among departments, vendors, and legacy systems, according to the survey. Fifty-one percent reported a significant email-based breach in the past year, while 50% reported a mobile-related breach.
Forty-five percent of executives expected technology budgets to expand by 40% or more in 2026, with 18% anticipated budget increases of more than 60%. Cybersecurity, compliance automation, AI governance and data integration topped the list of modernization priorities for 2026.
