The Majority Employees Don’t Know Best Cybersecurity Practices

The Majority Employees Don't Know Best Cybersecurity Practices

According to a new study, 70 percent of employees cannot grasp web security and privacy.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Oct 12, 2017

It should be no surprise by no that cyber threats are the top threats against companies these days. As established in the past, employees are your weakest links when it comes to cybersecurity and a recent study has only found more evidence to prove this is true.

The 2017 State of Privacy and Security Awareness Report surveyed over 1,000 workers in the United States and found that the vast majority of them lacked a basic understanding of how cybersecurity or digital privacy impacted their company. In the end, 70 percent of those who were surveyed failed when it came to security and best practices at work.

The 1,012 workers were given a 31 question survey and then, based on their answers, were given a ranking of Risk, Novice or Hero. Nineteen percent of the surveyed workers scored a 74 percent or below putting them in the “Risk” category. These individuals are described as those who are most likely to put their organization at risk for a privacy or security incident.

Fifty-one percent of the workers scored 77-94 percent on the survey and were categorized as “Novice” which “have a good understanding of the basics, but could stand to learn more.” These novices represent the majority of workers in the United States, and show that more training and constant information sharing on privacy techniques could go a long way to remind workers that one wrong move could change everything.

Fortunately, 30 percent of the workers scored in the “Hero” category. MediaPro, the leader of the survey, described these workers as “individuals who know their stuff, including how to identify and properly dispose of personal information, recognize phishing attempts and malware and keep information safe while working remotely.”

The good news is that MediaPro believes things are only looking up. Compared to the year before, there was a 3% increase in Risk employees, a 21 percent decrease in Novice employees and a 18 percent increase in Hero employees.

Only education can help companies now. Is your company working to ensure your employees are cybersecurity Heroes?

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.