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By LTC Steven Howard, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Contributor, InCyberDefense
A recent study by security firm Shred-it claims that employee negligence is the main cause of data breaches. Over 25% of surveyed employees admit to leaving their computers unlocked and unattended at work.
As remote work continues to increase in frequency, the majority of executives surveyed also stated that the risk of data breach is higher when an employee works remotely. A surprisingly low number of companies that employ remote employees have comprehensive off-site security policies for those employees.
External Vendors Also a Cybersecurity Risk
Many executives stated in the survey that external vendors were a cybersecurity risk as well. The Shred-it survey found that one in four executives and one in five small business owners said that an external vendor was the cause of a data breach at their companies.
Many medium and large companies have annual cybersecurity training to address security concerns. However, experts agree that it is unlikely that employees will retain that information and that more frequent training is needed.
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