Small and medium sized businesses across Europe are more at risk than ever of being victims of cyber threats – as almost three quarters (72 %) admit to heightened concern and many do not feel prepared to spot and avoid a threat at work. This is according to new European research of over 11,000 employees unveiled today.
An overwhelming majority (84 %) of workers say they are more concerned about cybersecurity than they were a year ago, while nearly one quarter (24 %) are more concerned about making mistakes at work that could lead to a cybersecurity attack than they were a year ago.
The research which covered 11 markets commissioned by Sharp Europe, a leading provider of business technology products and services, found increasing concerns because of the rise in AI, yet little is being done by employers to prepare workers to deal with these new cyber threats.
Almost three quarters (72 %) of European SME employees do not feel confident that they could spot and avoid a cyber threat at work and growing concerns about cyber threats at work have been accelerated by the rise of AI. In fact, 43 % cited this as the top reason why they feel more concerned than they did last year. Sharp’s research also reveals that 23 % of employees said they don't think they could spot an AI security threat, such as a phishing email – and 34 % agree that AI will make it more difficult to spot a potential cyber-attack.
Despite these growing concerns and lack of preparedness, security training from employers has been minimal over the last two years. Sharp’s research revealed that 41 % of European SME workers have received no security training from their employers in the last two years. Worryingly, nearly one quarter (24 %) have never received any training from their employer about these emerging cyber threats.
Roland Singer, Vice President of IT Services, Sharp Europe, said: “There is a worrying disparity between European employees’ growing concerns about cybersecurity and their perceived ability to effectively deal with cyber threats at work.
To make matters worse, business leaders aren’t providing their employees with adequate or regular training to deal with these new cyber threats. Technology is constantly evolving, so cybersecurity training should be adapting at the same pace.
It is the responsibility of SME leaders to implement a robust cybersecurity training programme which is provided and updated on a regular basis. In doing so, they can maintain a high standard of security awareness across their workforce that can be regularly adapted according to needs.”
Sharp’s research comes amid new cybersecurity legislation such as the recently implemented NIS2 Directive, the first EU-wide law on cybersecurity which aims to increase the overall level of cybersecurity in the EU and will impact UK businesses trading in Europe. Such legislations have been implemented amid a rise in cyber-attacks targeting European businesses, which have become even more sophisticated as a result of AI.
For further insights and advice on security preparedness for SMEs, please visit here.
Notes to editors
Research
The research was conducted by Censuswide from 30 October 24 – 8 November 24 and responded to by 11,003 employees within SMEs from 11 countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
About Sharp Europe
Sharp Europe enables small-to-large enterprises and organisations to enhance performance and adapt for their workplaces of the future through a range of business technology products and services.
Headquartered in London, Sharp Europe serves customers in the private and public sectors, Education and Government, with a portfolio ranging from printers and advanced flat screen technologies, collaboration platforms, through to IT services.
As part of Sharp Corporation, and with the backing of Foxconn, Sharp Europe is investing and leading the industry in new areas of technology that have the potential to change the world. It developed the world’s first commercially available 8K monitor and in 2019 launched the world’s first certified Windows collaboration display.
To find out more about how Sharp Europe is changing the future of work, please visit www.sharp.eu.
For more information, please visit www.sharp.eu.
