It’s a well-known fact that stress can have a negative impact on many things in life, but what about having a negative effect on cybersecurity? According to Threat Post, a recent survey found that employees who are stressed out and working remotely can contribute to poor cybersecurity practices within a company.
The majority of younger employees (under 30 years of age), as well as caregivers, admitted to using unprotected apps and services. They did this in order to help complete tasks more easily and quickly. This same group of people also admitted to making more mistakes while working remotely due to distractions at home, such as copying the wrong contact on emails. Stress level also plays a large role. Those who are more stressed were found to have trouble focusing on their day to day tasks. Employees categorized in the older age group played a role in displaying negative stress-related behavior, but not nearly as much as the younger group.
How is stress a risk to cybersecurity?
Stress-related behavior can negatively impact IT security practices, which can leave companies vulnerable to a cyberattack. Due to stress, some employees have found themselves moving further away from pre-set and learned IT rules. Unfortunately, cybersecurity ends up taking a back seat to alleviating the stress that they feel.
What can be done?
This has been a stressful time for many people, and it’s important to be there for your employees, both emotionally and personally. It’s also important to continue to reinforce safe IT security practices within the company, such as trainings. As always, CATS Technology Solutions Group is fully equipped with certified technicians who are always up to date on the latest security trainings. If you ever have any questions, or need assistance from a Cybersecurity professional, reach out to a CATS Technology team member!
