Business leaders fear Gen Z employees may leak company secrets for likes and lols
PasswordManager.com has released a new survey looking at how business leaders view Gen Z employees (those born around the mid-to-late 1990s through the early 2010s), especially when it comes to the handling of sensitive company information.
The results reveal that many bosses are worried about the younger generation, with nearly half of respondents believing they could leak secrets for social media attention.
The report is based on responses from 1,000 U.S. business leaders and includes both intentional and unintentional leaks.
More than half of those surveyed, 52 percent, said they were very or somewhat concerned about Gen Z posing a security risk.
Nineteen percent admitted they do not trust Gen Z staff with confidential information, while 45 percent said younger employees are more likely than other generations to leak details.
Nearly half, 47 percent, believed Gen Z workers might intentionally leak secrets online for likes or to create content.
Gunnar Kallstrom, an information systems and cybersecurity expert, explained that part of the problem is a lack of clear policies.
"The issue is that younger employees don't always fully understand what counts as sensitive information, because companies often fail to clearly define and contextualize it," he said. "While younger generations are often labeled as reckless, much of the problem stems from unclear guidance and outdated training that hasn't evolved to match their digital habits."
Gen Z employee leaks
The survey also revealed that 18 percent of business leaders have already seen a Gen Z employee leak information
Reported examples included workers recording TikTok videos that inadvertently exposed client data, filming near confidential presentation decks, posting screenshots from virtual meetings, and sharing product demos before launch.
Some leaders also cited employees using customer data in skits or leaking news about layoffs to journalists.
These leaks were linked to reputational harm in 54 percent of cases, damaged client relationships in 52 percent, legal issues in 47 percent, and financial losses in 42 percent.
Companies are responding to this issue in different ways. Fifty-eight percent reported increasing training and education around confidentiality, while 18 percent are considering similar measures.
Still, nearly a third of business leaders said they avoid hiring Gen Z employees altogether due to security concerns.
"Companies should effectively train younger employees about security and confidentiality. This can be done by bridging the gap with tailored security training, modernized and clearly written policies, and open dialogue," Kallstrom said.
You can view the full survey here.
What do you think about business leaders’ concerns over Gen Z and company security? Let us know in the comments.
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