By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Cybersecurity awareness
remains high among European Union employees, but everyday security practices
are lagging, according to figures highlighted by Henna Virkkunen, Executive
Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
Virkkunen shared the
findings as European Cybersecurity Month gets underway, highlighting the gap
between employees’ confidence in identifying cyber threats and their adoption
of basic security practices.
Three in four EU employees
encountered suspicious emails, messages or links at work in the six months
before the survey, according to the Eurobarometer findings cited by Virkkunen.
The figures show that 72% of
respondents said they can identify suspicious emails, while only 54% said they
check the sender before opening links.
The survey also found that
only 50% of respondents always lock their computer when leaving their
workstation. At the same time, 85% said they want to improve their
cybersecurity skills, while 60% received cybersecurity training in the previous
year.
Virkkunen said the findings
highlight the need to turn cybersecurity awareness into everyday action among
citizens, employers and organisations.
Phishing, AI-generated scams
and other cyber threats can cause serious harm to businesses and public
services and undermine trust in the digital economy, she said.
The European Union is
working to strengthen cybersecurity skills, improve preparedness and support
stronger cybersecurity measures across Europe.
Virkkunen also urged people
to incorporate basic cyber hygiene into their daily routines, including using
strong passwords, checking senders before opening links and reporting
suspicious messages.
