Cybersecurity, employees’ carelessness threatens European companies

Brussels – Human error, in the workplace, is an ever-present risk, and while a distraction may cause some delay or loss of efficiency, in the digital age it can cost dearly, to the point of threatening the very safety of an entire company. A survey commissioned by Sharp Europe, a leading provider of technology equipment and services, and conducted by Censuswide, surveyed 11 thousand employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in 11 European countries, including Italy, with the aim of better understanding the impact of employee habits on enterprise cybersecurity. 

The result? While 84 per cent of workers said they were increasingly concerned about cybersecurity, with artificial intelligence as the main fear, the risky practices enacted in the office are many. The most common, and most dangerous, are accessing unprotected Wi-fi networks with company devices, installing unauthorized content or software from dubious sources, not logging off accounts overnight, and not regularly updating PCs. According to the study, the point of maximum vulnerability from cyberattacks is Friday afternoon, when employees tend to make more mistakes. Stress and workload are other risk factors, with 36 per cent of workers surveyed citing them as the biggest cause of inattention. No wonder human error is the cause of 95 per cent of cybersecurity breaches. 

It also emerged that despite growing awareness of cyber threats, one-fifth of the sample believes they have no responsibility for ensuring data security, citing that this would be the preserve of their company’s IT department. According to Sharp, the solution to the problem would be the encouragement of dedicated training programs in addition to a more attentive attitude on the part of employees.