Around half of the workforce will be millennials by 2020, but today they represent a bigger threat to your data. A recent report by endpoint security and management products producer Absolute Software (ABT) concludes that millennials take the most risks with your data. The report says they pose a greater risk to corporate data security than other user demographics.
The findings between generational mobile security behaviors are likely to be counter-intuitive to many who assume younger generations to be more knowledgeable and more aware of security threats in mobile tech use than older generations according to FierceBigData. Stephen Midgley, VP of Global Marketing at Absolute Software said;
We conducted this survey with the intention of helping enterprises better understand the current attitudes that employees have towards data security and privacy.
The presser from Absolute Software says that:
- 64% of millennials use their employer-owned device for personal use, as opposed to 37% of baby boomers
50% of respondents believe that security is not their responsibility
- 35% of millennials change their default settings, compared to 8% of baby boomers
- 27% of millennials access “Not Safe For Work“ content, compared with only 5% of baby boomers
- 25% of millennials believe they compromise IT security, compared with only 5% of baby boomers
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The author concludes that these findings underscore why data trumps instinct or gut feeling given its counter-intuitive results. Corporate hiring and training programs and policies often focus on what companies think of different worker demographics rather than on how those workers actually work. Armed with useful data such as this, hiring and training practices can be better aligned with the realities.
Related articles
- Millennial’s are most vulnerable to hacks and cyber attacks, research suggests (businessinsider.com)
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.