New research has found that a third of SME leaders do not trust employees to handle confidential information. More than half say employees simply don’t understand the importance of securing confidential information.
Other companies admit they don’t have sufficient technology or controls in place to protect confidential information, while two in five leaders say their lack of trust is due to having been ‘burned’ in the past.
The news comes from SME cyber security company CyberSmart, which used Censuswide data from 1,000 UK small and medium-sized businesses for its findings. It also shows that one in five business leaders believe their employees can steal sensitive or proprietary information and sell it for profit or a competitive advantage. benefit.
Employees live in a bubble, protected from confidential information
According to the participants, current employees pose the greatest risk. Former employees rank second, while current interns and temporary workers round out the top three threats to CMB’s cybersecurity.
The research also shows that many companies simply lack adequate policies regarding information sharing, accessing confidential data and exclusion/offboarding. Most companies lack the latter; Just over one in five (22%) have a policy available for employees leaving the company.
CyberSmart CEO Jamie Akhtar said: “This research has shown that the biggest reason why SMB leaders cannot trust their employees with sensitive information has to do with a lack of training in security awareness and the implementation of security measures and policies.”
The report hints at a basic level of cybersecurity training that should be offered to all staff to pave the way to a more secure working environment.
Akhtar added: “It is critical that SMEs re-evaluate their cybersecurity posture and consider the people, processes and technology components of their strategy for maximum protection.”