Half of Australian workers lack the skills to handle cyber attacks

Australian workers are on the same wavelength when it comes to believing they are vulnerable to cyber attacks, with the majority fearing for the safety of their personal information. Training may be the solution to these issues.

Cyber attacks are an imminent threat to most Australian workplaces, with new research from ELMO Software showing that 49 per cent of workers believe their workplace is vulnerable, while 51 per cent are also concerned about their personal information being stolen as part of the attacks.

The anxiety and fear around cyber attacks derive from a lack of knowledge and education. Almost a third (31 per cent) don’t know how to prevent themselves from falling victim to a phishing attempt at work. Anxiety around this topic may be due to the spate of high-profile hacks over recent years.

Despite the fear and lack of confidence among employees, less than half said their workplace offers training courses or education to help prevent an attack. ELMO Software chief executive Joseph Lyons said the survey findings should serve as a wake-up call for Australia’s business leaders.

“It’s alarming to see that a third of Australia’s workforce don’t feel equipped to stop themselves from being duped by a hacker at work. But what’s most concerning is the fact that half of businesses are overlooking one of the most crucial methods to prevent attacks – training their staff,” Mr Lyons said.

Businesses should be looking to dispel any fear or anxiety shared by employees regarding their vulnerability to cyber attacks. Instead, they are proving to be lackadaisical in providing the correct training to them. The report also stated that a quarter (24 per cent) admit to using non-approved software, apps, or devices at work, which opens up to cyber attacks.

“Given the number of workers who are worried about the personal data their employers have on file, businesses need to seriously consider whether they have the right technology in place to store information securely and prevent it from being accessed by third parties. But it doesn’t stop at technology; training is also key,” Mr Lyons said.

The report showed that cyber fears are more prevalent among the older generation of workers, with Baby Boomers being particularly worried, with 54 per cent feeling concerned about being scammed on their work devices, compared to just 38 per cent of Gen Z.

An interesting detail from the report showed that smaller-scale businesses were less likely to invest in proper training and software to prevent cyber attacks, doing so under the impression that they were less prone to an attack compared to larger businesses. Falling into this trap, however, could leave them exposed.

“Regardless of size, being targeted by an attack is a very real possibility, and it’s something every C-suite leader needs to be thinking about,” Mr Lyons said.

Mr Lyons concluded that cyber security is a team responsibility and can’t just be ousted aside to one department.

“Cyber security is no longer the sole responsibility of IT departments, especially given the rise in attacks that target human vulnerability. HR leaders need to be working alongside their IT and finance counterparts to develop continuous training and ensure the employee data they hold is kept secure,” he said.