LAHORE: Nearly one in five employees in Pakistan have made workplace IT mistakes due to a lack of cybersecurity knowledge, highlighting the need for regular training and stronger cyber hygiene, according to a Kaspersky survey.
The survey, ‘Cybersecurity in the Workplace: Employee Knowledge and Behaviour’, found that 18.5 per cent of Pakistani employees cited inadequate cybersecurity knowledge as a factor behind their IT-related mistakes.
Other factors included being in a hurry, cited by 20.5 per cent of respondents, while 16 per cent blamed tiredness or stress and another 16 per cent excessive notifications. A further 15 per cent attributed mistakes to oversight.
The findings also highlighted digital workplace habits that could affect concentration and productivity. About 37 per cent of respondents said they had 10 to 20 icons on their computer desktops, while 36.5 per cent had more than 20. Around 30 per cent said they regularly kept more than 10 browser tabs open.
Kaspersky said excessive digital clutter and information overload can increase distractions and leave employees more vulnerable to social engineering and other cyber threats.The survey found that 58.5 per cent of respondents regularly removed unnecessary files at least once a month, while others did so less frequently.
Kaspersky recommended that organisations provide regular training on phishing, email security, password management, software installation and the safe use of artificial intelligence tools.It also advised employees to remove unnecessary files and desktop icons, close unused browser tabs, uninstall redundant applications and limit notifications to essential alerts.
