Almost three-quarters of office workers believe their employer holds staff personally responsible, either through disciplinary action or unfavourable treatment, for cybersecurity incidents, according to a new survey.
Research from IT.ie and SonicWall reveals feelings of blame when it comes to cybersecurity at work, with 29% of office workers reporting that at least one person in their organisation has been fired for accidentally causing a breach.
More than a third of respondents believe their company "always" holds employees responsible for cybersecurity incidents, while 35% said they do so "sometimes".
One-in-five said they would not feel comfortable reporting cybersecurity concerns to upper management.
More than a third of those surveyed admitted that they have neglected to report a breach in the last 12 months, with the top reason for this cited as embarrassment, followed by fear of repercussions.
More than two-thirds said they would leave, or consider leaving, their job if they caused a breach.
The survey found that 79% of respondents think businesses should provide mental health support to employees who fall victim to cyberattacks.
According to the study, half of office workers feel stressed about cybersecurity in their job and 60% of respondents believe employees are not to blame for unintentional breaches and incidents.
"While it is on all of us to be vigilant, the average office worker is not a cybersecurity expert; the onus is on business and IT leaders to ensure they have taken every step possible to safeguard their business and people," said IT.ie's founder and managing director Eamon Gallagher.
Regional Director for Northern Europe at SonicWall Stuart Taylor said that blaming individuals for breaches not only fails to address the root causes of cyber incidents but also creates an environment of fear that can restrict transparency.
"It's important for organisations to build a positive atmosphere where employees feel empowered to report concerns without the fear of repercussions," Mr Taylor said.
1,000 office workers in the Republic were surveyed as part of the research, conducted by Censuswide.
