New research has uncovered an unexpected twist in the tale of cyber security risks – your tech-savvy younger employees may be your largest vulnerability.

Are you Shocked? Let's dive into the details.

Globally, More than 6,500 employees were surveyed, with an almost equal representation across demographics. I can say the results were rather alarming.

The study found that younger office workers, those 40 or under, are more likely to disregard standard password safety guidelines. Many admitted, 34%, to using their birth dates as passwords, compared to 19% of those over 40.

Unfortuantly it doesn't stop there.

Using the same password across multiple devices was also more prevalent among younger workers, with 38% openly admitting to doing this.

And let's not even get started on phishing scams. A whopping 23% of the younger demographic didn't report the last phishing attempt they received. Their reasoning? "I didn't think it was important because I get them all the time."

But surely they understand the gravity of security threats against themselves and businesses, right? Well, not quite.

While ransomware, 23%, and phishing, 22%, were acknowledged as critical threats by employees, the overall attitude towards cyber security left much to be desired.

But here's the kicker: a staggering number of those surveyed revealed that their organizations did not provide mandatory cybersecurity training.

From the US (30%), UK (17%), Netherlands (32%), Japan (35%), India (31%), Germany (22%), France (43%), Australia (29%) and China (65%) – the numbers speak for themselves and this is such a simple and easy thing to do with a considerable upside benefit.

So, are we really to blame our young workforce when it's clear businesses aren't doing enough to equip their employees with the basic and necessary cybersecurity skills to protect themselves as well as the company's data?

It's high time we stopped treating cyber security as an unnecessary afterthought and started investing in regular cyber awareness training for everyone. Yes, EVERYONE. Not just the tech team or the executives but every single employee and family member.

It's not just about protecting the business; it's about creating a safer digital world where a little education goes a long way.

We can help you do that. Get in touch.