Survey reveals data security apathy among UK employees

Keyboard lock
UK businesses need to toughen their security procedures

Almost a quarter of UK employees believe that data security within their company is not their responsibility, according to a recent survey.

Absolute Software questioned 755 employees on attitudes toward the safety of their company's data and devices such as mobiles, computers and laptops. Larger companies made up the majority of those questioned, with 64 per cent of respondents coming from businesses with 5,000 or more employees. Of all those surveyed, more than 60 per cent held middle management positions or higher within their company.

The survey found that 23 per cent of workers think that data security is up to their company and not the individual, and that they hold no responsibility for it. 62 per cent believe that missing devices at a company go unnoticed, while 20 per cent said their company had experienced a data breach in some capacity in the last year.

No punishment

30 per cent of respondents claimed that their business would probably not punish employees for losing a device, while 63 per cent said that their workplace had plans in place for any form of data breach. The remaining 37 per cent revealed they either didn't know or hadn't been told about breaches.

Most UK businesses have moderate to strict security policies in place for employees, but they don't seem to be enforced according to the survey: three quarters of respondents agreed that while there should be ramifications for losing a work device, 68 per cent received only a talking to or absolutely no punishment at all.

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