Survey Shows Millennials Represent Greatest Risk to Corporate Data

  • May 13, 2015
Absolute Software Corporation, an industry standard for persistent endpoint security and management solutions for computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, announced the results of a U.S. mobile security study*, conducted earlier this year. The survey confirmed that Millennials prove to be a greater risk to data security as compared to other user categories.

The report provides insight into employee attitudes toward IT security and their behaviors on corporate-owned mobile devices. Based on usage preferences and content accessed, the results offer an eye-opening perspective on the security risks associated with employee mobile device usage, depending on company size, employee age, their role, and the number of devices they use.

The report demonstrates clear differences in generational behavior and associated risks related to data security.

Millennials versus Baby Boomers:

  • 64% of Millennials use their employer-owned device for personal use, as opposed to 37% of Baby Boomers
  • 35% of Millennials modify their default settings, compared to 8% of Baby Boomers
  • 27% of Millennials access “Not Safe For Work” content, compared with only 5% of Baby Boomers
  • 25% of Millennials believe they compromise IT security, compared with only 5% of Baby Boomers

“We conducted this survey with the intention of helping enterprises better understand the current attitudes that employees have towards data security and privacy,” said Stephen Midgley, vice president, Global Marketing, Absolute Software. “Armed with this information, our customers can consider user behavior as an additional data point in their endpoint security and data risk management strategies.”

Additional findings of the 2015 Mobile Device Security Report include:

  • 50% of respondents believe that security is not their responsibility
  • 52% of respondents use their employer-owned devices for personal use
  • 21% of respondents have modified the default settings on their work devices
  • 14% of all respondents believe their behavior compromises the security of their organization

Respondents also selected the three top benefits of mobility:

  • 39%: I can respond to requests from any location
  • 38%: I can be more responsive
  • 38%: I can do work while I’m traveling

“While the report indicates real progress in a number of critical security areas, there is still a lot that can be done to modify behavior and educate employees,” said Midgley. “Ultimately, everyone is responsible for protecting sensitive business information. Knowing there is ambiguity between how different users may approach this requirement, IT leaders need to provide meaningful guidance and training that reinforces this collective accountability.”

*Methodology:

•       The online survey was conducted in January 2015 among 762 North American adults age 18+ who are members of the Springboard America Forum and meet the following criteria:

–      use an employer-owned mobile device

–      work for a company with 50 employees or more

•       Millennials are defined as respondents aged 18-34 years

•       Baby Boomers are defined as respondents aged 55+ years

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.