Is there a "Generation Gap" in Cybersecurity? By Eric Geter
When it comes to security issues in a digital age, it seems the younger generation has a different perception of threats. A small-business survey showed that a third of respondents between 18 and 34 said an attack on their company was “very likely”, while only 5% of those 55 and older responded in the same way.
No particular attack was described, so the survey only asked about personal perceptions of an attack’s likelihood. This suggests younger people are more aware of a wider range of attacks, whether from social engineers, to fraudulent email, to identity theft. People who grew up in an “always on” culture have a more acute awareness of both device vulnerabilities and their known threat types.
Does this mean risks are higher among employees with lengthier service? Not at all! When companies communicate threat information to employees, senior employees have often demonstrated they’re less likely to take risks. Maybe it’s this reluctance which informs their decision-making when it comes to safe computer use.
Still, it’s interesting to know how only one-third of younger people think an attack is “very likely”. With so many threats in the wild, it’s surprising to know that number isn’t higher.
Every employee is responsible for exercising careful judgement with risks. A poor decision made when opening a fraudulent email is no different than neglecting a spill on a warehouse floor; either incident can have a negative outcome, and both are very preventable. It is always the response to a risk which matters, and that’s something every age group can agree on.
Technology Tip: Always follow up a suspicious email with a phone call to IT, treat every “found” USB memory stick as suspicious, and cover company-issued credit card in highly-surveilled stores when checking out.