Over half of office workers have clicked on dodgy links
MORE than half of office workers have clicked on a link or attachment within a suspicious email sent to their work email address.
According to research by Citywest-based IT and cybersecurity service provider HCS, around 50 per cent of these also claim to be confident that they can identify phishing emails when they receive them.
Of those who opened a suspicious link or attachment, 61 per cent reported it to the proper authority in their workplace immediately, while 34 per cent reported it within the same day.
HCS research explores office workers’ attitudes to, and experiences of, cybersecurity at work.
The research of 503 office workers based in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of HCS, with the support of cybersecurity firm Fortinet.
As the cyber-threat landscape continues to evolve, 67 per cent of those surveyed say they are aware of their company having a plan or protocol in the event of a successful cyberattack, however just 41 per cent said their employer has provided formal cybersecurity awareness training in the past year.
When asked what they perceive to be the biggest cyber threats to their business in 2024, Irish-based office workers named human error, malware and social engineering such as phishing.
Dan Hegarty, Head of Sales, HCS, said: “This research serves to highlight some of the real-world cybersecurity risks facing businesses.
“Employees are often the weakest link in an organisation’s chain of cyber defences, so it’s concerning to see that a large number of the employees who were deceived by a suspicious email also believe that they are alert to cybersecurity threats.
“Evidently, the training that employees are receiving – if any – may not be enough. The survey underscores the need for regular cybersecurity awareness training within organisations. The reality is that – particularly now, given the speed of advancement in AI – what could have sufficed 12 months ago may now be outdated. Complacency in this area could prove to be the biggest threat to businesses.
