Irish employees feeling the blame over cybersecurity breaches

16 Jan 2025

Image: © Michael Traitov/Stock.adobe.com

The survey also indicated a demand for mental health resources for those who have fallen victim to a cyberattack.

IT services provider IT.ie and cybersecurity company SonicWall have today (16 January) revealed the results of a study which shows that 73pc of surveyed Irish employees believe they would be blamed by their employer for a cybersecurity incident. Almost a third (29pc) stated that at least one person has been fired from their organisation in the last year for accidentally causing a breach. 

To collect their data, Censuswide, on behalf of  IT.ie and SonicWall, surveyed 1,000 office employees based in Ireland. More than a third (38pc) of respondents stated that their organisation will always hold employees responsible for incidents, while 35pc said that they will sometimes be held responsible.

The survey also indicated the impact of cybersecurity threats on employees, as well as the need for mental health support for those affected by a serious incident. Half of respondents said that they feel stressed about cybersecurity in their job, while 64pc said that they would seriously consider leaving their job if they were at the centre of a breach. 79pc of those surveyed advocate for the provision of organisational mental health support to those who fall victim to cybersecurity attacks.

Despite the growing fears over workplace cybersecurity incidents, IT.ie and SonicWall’s research indicated that more than a third of respondents (36pc) failed to report a breach in the last 12 months, over fears of repercussions and embarrassment. One-in-five admitted that they would not be comfortable reporting a concern to upper management.

Eamon Gallagher, the founder and managing director of IT.ie, said: “This research shows that businesses are, understandably, under enormous pressure due to the growing threat posed by cybercriminals. However, that pressure is wrongly being felt on a personal level by employees. 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.

“Stringent cybersecurity measures will become legally binding for EU organisations who fall under the NIS2 directive later this year. It places the responsibility back on senior leaders to oversee training, security and business continuity measures that ensure that if, and when, a breach does happen, its impact is minimal.”

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Laura Varley is the Careers reporter for Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com