CyberArk, an identity security provider, has issued a new report on employee risk that is a must-read for IT Professionals and executives. The report highlights several findings that are directly related to the risks employees pose to an organization. These risks include:

• A majority of employees have access to sensitive information;
• Employees commonly reuse passwords;
• A majority of employees bypass cybersecurity policies;
• AI Adoption is creating more security challenges. The statistics in the report are rather staggering:
• 60% of employees admitted to using a personal device to access work-related information.
  • 45% of employees admitted that they “had” to share a work password with a colleague for legitimate reasons.
  • 43% logged into a public wi-fi-on a work device.
  • 42% admitted to being bombarded with so many authentication requests that they just click “accept.”
  • 40% used a colleague’s work device for their own work.
  • 35% received and clicked on links in a phishing email.
  • 34% lost a personal device.
  • 25% lost a work device.

One conclusion of the report is that “busy employees often prioritize productivity over security.” As employees, we are all responsible for protecting the data we access for work purposes. One click could compromise our company’s data. We are all inundated with numerous tasks while simultaneously flooded with vast amounts of data. It is essential to understand that our companies have implemented cybersecurity measures to protect our data and us from compromising it. Respect the measures your employer has implemented, don’t try to get around them, and embrace solid cybersecurity hygiene in the new year.