Half of employees afraid to report security errors

Half of respondents say that they would not feel free from repercussions if they reported a cybersecurity mistake within their organization.

A new survey from ThinkCyber Security also shows that a quarter of cybersecurity professionals doubt their colleagues change their behavior with current security awareness training, and 60 percent admit they only get training once every few months or even just once a year.

The security behaviors cause the most concern within organizations are, clicking on links in emails (53 percent), sharing corporate data outside of the business (53 percent), and sharing of usernames and passwords (51 percent).

"Security awareness training is most effectively delivered in the moment when it can be directly contextualised by the recipient. This approach not only enhances comprehension by linking awareness to an immediate and relevant situation but also serves as a proactive nudge towards safe behavior." says Tim Ward, CEO at ThinkCyber. "By intervening at the precise moment when a risky action is about to be taken, individuals are more likely to understand the specific dangers and consequences associated with their actions. This timely intervention ensures that the lesson is not abstract or theoretical but grounded in a real-world context, making it more impactful. Therefore, the individual is informed about potential risks and guided towards making safer choices before any harm can occur, significantly mitigating the chances of a security breach or incident."

When respondents were asked whether their business had a way to identify the user groups who are carrying out risky behaviors, 49 percent said that they did not for all behaviors causing concern.

In addition 42 percent of respondents feel that their organization could not prove whether their current security awareness training is effective in changing behavior.

ThinkCyber recommends that security awareness training should be provided to employees on a regular basis to maintain awareness and keep employees up to date with the latest cybersecurity threats. Find out more on the ThinkCyber site.

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