Irish office workers know they are the weakest link when it comes to defending against cyberattacks on their employers’ systems.
Ireland’s office workers feel unprepared to thwart a cyberattack on their organisation and 43% fear they could be the cause of a cybersecurity breach.
New research from managed services business IT.ie found that there’s a serious lack of confidence among office workers to thwart cyber threats.
“In truth, they are right to fear causing a breach; the majority of cybersecurity incidents are caused by human error, so employees need to know that they are equipped with relevant, up-to-date know-how on reducing that risk.”
The survey found that 51% of office workers feel more vulnerable to cyberattacks than they did a year ago, leading to 43% believing that they are at risk of causing a cybersecurity incident in the next 12 months.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
The research of 1,000 office workers based in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of IT.ie and SonicWall, a global leader in cybersecurity innovation.
It uncovers a need for more cybersecurity training for office workers, along with a greater sense of shared responsibility for upholding cybersecurity standards.
“Our research clearly shows that employees have a growing sense of unease with regards to cybersecurity,” said Eamon Gallagher, founder and managing director of IT.ie.
“In truth, they are right to fear causing a breach; the majority of cybersecurity incidents are caused by human error, so employees need to know that they are equipped with relevant, up-to-date know-how on reducing that risk.
“At IT.ie, we work with organisations to ensure employees are not only regularly trained, but that the systems they are using are as watertight as technology will allow. Without this collective effort and a multi-layered security approach, organisations will inevitably face a greater risk of breaches or compromise. Now is the time to listen to employees: if they are worried about cybersecurity, then the business should be worried, too.”
The survey found that of the 43% who feel at risk of causing a breach, 60% attribute it to incomplete or non-existent cybersecurity training, and nearly a third (31%) blame poor communication from management regarding cyber risks.
These feelings of being ill-prepared are reflected among the general office worker population, too, with 21% saying they do not feel adequately trained to deal with increased cybersecurity threats on a day-to-day basis. This is despite the fact that the EU’s incoming cybersecurity legislation, the NIS2 Directive, outlines cybersecurity training as one of the minimum measures required for compliance.
Generally, the recommended frequency for cybersecurity training is once per month – as long as it is aligned with a multilayered approach that includes defensive solutions such as firewalls and VPNs.
However, IT.ie’s research found that just 15% of office workers receive training this often and some 20%, admitted they have not received cybersecurity training in more than a year – or never. The research showed that 42% have the opportunity to brush up on their skills every two to six months, while 23% receive training every seven months to a year.
This issue of substandard training may explain why 26% of office workers do not believe cybersecurity is their personal responsibility. Meanwhile, over one-in-ten (12%) office workers do not believe that their employer takes cybersecurity seriously.
“Last year, SonicWall detected 210,258 never-before-seen malware variants,” said Stuart Taylor, regional director for Northern Europe at SonicWall.
“Evidently, cybercriminals are evolving fast and it’s not enough to simply be aware; it’s about building a resilient, multilayered defence that combines employee training with robust security solutions. SonicWall research has shown that in doing so, organisations can avoid 68 days of potential downtime.
“Almost one-third of cyber events are now caused by business email compromise and our research with IT.ie highlights that while office workers recognise the growing risks, many still lack the confidence and tools to defend against them. A proactive approach, integrating firewalls, VPNs, endpoint security, and continuous education, is essential to protect businesses from increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats.”
Main image at top: Eamon Gallagher, managing director and founder IT.ie, and Daniel Carr, territory account manager for Ireland, at SonicWall
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