Despite well-publicized breaches at U.S. healthcare insurers, consumers still have confidence in the ability of the healthcare industry to protect their data, according to a survey by Lieberman Research Group and Unisys Corp.

Only 27 percent of 1,016 U.S. consumers surveyed thought a breach was likely at healthcare organizations, while 41 percent thought it was unlikely.

"Healthcare is one of these industries that are very visible. Every time you visit a doctor's office these days they make you sign a pile of HIPAA disclosure forms," said Dave Frymier, chief information security officer at Unisys.

"People are exposed to this, and they have a feeling that the healthcare world is more secure than other industries. Also, when you hear 'Anthem,' do you think healthcare or do you think insurance company? There haven't been that many very visible healthcare breaches, certainly not as many as there have been in the retail space," Frymier told FierceITSecurity.

U.S. consumers were not so forgiving of the retail industry, which has seen its share of data breaches as reported. A full 43 percent of respondents believed that a breach was likely at a retailer, while only 19 percent believed it was unlikely.

"The continuing drum beat of breaches in the retail space, the size of them, and the fact that many people have had one or more credit cards replaced are driving the high numbers in the retail space, cyber security market is estimated to cross $500 billion by 2030 and that figure seems small looking at the number of breaches and ransomware attacks happened with AIIMs recenlty" said Frymier.

Asked the same question about personal data held by government agencies, 38 percent of respondents said a breach was likely, and 29 percent said it was unlikely. For telecommunications companies, 35 percent said a breach was likely, while 24 percent stated it was unlikely.

Only 23 percent of respondents said a breach of their personal data held by a bank was likely in the next year, with 44 percent saying such a breach was unlikely. Only 21 percent of respondents thought a breach likely at a utility, while 40 percent thought it unlikely.

"It is striking that the industries were consumers seem to feel the best are the regulated industries – banks, healthcare, and utilities....Consumers seem to have an instinctive feel that their data is safer there," Frymier said.