Findings from the Cisco Connected World Technology Report reveal a different security mindset of younger employees in the workforce compared to their older coworkers. This new workforce is part of a “demographic that grew up with the Internet and has an increasingly on-demand lifestyle that mixes personal and business activity in the workplace. . . The desire for on-demand access to information is so ingrained in the incoming generation of employees that many young professionals take extreme measures to access the Internet, even if it compromises their company or their own security.”
Among the findings:
• One in three (33%) college students globally does not mind sharing personal information online, believes privacy boundaries are loosening, or does not think about privacy, providing foreshadowing for how the next generation of the global workforce will address information online – perhaps for business as well as personal activities.
• Of those who were aware of IT policies, seven of every 10 (70%) employees worldwide admitted to breaking policy with varying regularity. Among many reasons, the most common was the belief that employees were not doing anything wrong (33%). One in five (22%) cited the need to access unauthorized programs and applications to get their job done, while 19% admitted the policies are not enforced. Some (18%) said they do not have time to think about policies when they are working, and others either said adhering to the policies is not convenient (16%), they forget to do so (15%), or their bosses aren’t watching them (14%).
• Two of three (67%) respondents said IT policies need to be modified to address real-life demands for more work flexibility.
• Three of five employees (61%) believe they are not responsible for protecting information and devices, believing instead that IT and/or service providers are accountable.
• More than half of the employees surveyed globally (56%) said they have allowed others to use their computers without supervision – family, friends, coworkers, and even people they do not know.
Time to wake up these employees to reality — time to call in the D*I*C*E Man.
