Digital trust is increasingly crucial for successful interactions in modern digital environments. However, the existing literature lacks a unified definition and a comprehensive understanding of its core factors. This study addresses these gaps by conducting a systematic literature review to explore and synthesise existing definitions of digital trust and identify the fundamental factors that shape it. A total of 86 relevant sources were analysed, revealing that digital trust is typically conceptualised as confidence in people, processes, and technology aimed at ensuring a secure digital environment, with data protection and privacy playing critical roles. Through thematic analysis, “openness” emerged as an additional factor complementing previously established elements of the integrative model of organisational trust, such as ability, benevolence, and integrity. Based on 42 definitions, we developed a new holistic definition of digital trust. The authors evaluated its content validity, confirming its alignment with the essential factors shaping digital trust’s essence. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of digital trust and offer an operationalised framework for future measurement and application.

Digital trust is increasingly crucial for successful interactions in modern digital environments. However, the existing literature lacks a unified definition and a comprehensive understanding of its core factors. This study addresses these gaps by conducting a systematic literature review to explore and synthesize existing definitions of digital trust and identify the fundamental factors that shape it. 86 relevant sources were analyzed, revealing that digital trust is typically conceptualized as confidence in people, processes, and technology aimed at ensuring a secure digital environment, with data protection and privacy playing critical roles. Through thematic analysis, “openness” emerged as an additional factor complementing previously established elements of the integrative model of organizational trust, such as ability, benevolence, and integrity. Based on 42 definitions, we developed a new holistic definition of digital trust. The authors evaluated its content validity, confirming its alignment with the essential factors shaping digital trust's essence. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of digital trust and offer an operationalized framework for future measurement and application.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between digital trust and various categories of third-party risk within the Baltic banking industry, where the Digital Operational Resilience Act mandates comprehensive oversight of information and communication technology (ICT) third parties. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through a survey of 138 employees involved in ICT third-party cooperation, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to estimate the effects of digital trust on 12 third-party risk categories. Findings were then discussed with 13 industry experts. Findings: The quantitative analysis reveals that higher digital trust is associated with lower assessed risk in 10 of the 12 categories, with the strongest effects observed for concentration, contingency planning and financial and strategic risks. No statistically significant effect was found for vendor and supply-chain cybersecurity or partner-specific factor risks. Expert interviews suggest that this is because cybersecurity risk is primarily driven by external attack activity. Trust assessments often occur prior to contract and are governance-focused. Additionally, self-reported assessments may lead to higher ratings. Furthermore, contractual coverage does not eliminate cybersecurity exposure. Practical implications: The findings confirm that digital trust assessment is a valuable complementary tool in third-party risk management. It provides practical value for governance, operational continuity, financial stability and strategic fit. However, it is not a reliable indicator of lower cybersecurity risk and should not replace policy-based screening. Originality/value: This research presents a novel perspective on the trust–risk management relationship by empirically demonstrating the differential impact of digital trust across various categories of third-party risk.