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.

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

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • 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.