The European Union will launch its annual Cybersecurity Month on October 1 amid a significant gap between employees' awareness of digital threats and their everyday cybersecurity practices.
According to the European bureau of Report, citing new Eurobarometer survey data, 83% of workers consider the consequences of cyberattacks serious, while only about half consistently follow basic digital security practices.
Three-quarters of employees in EU countries have encountered suspicious emails, messages or links at work at least once. Phishing was the most common threat, with 39% of respondents reporting fraudulent messages or fake websites aimed at stealing data or gaining unauthorized access.
Another 18% reported attempts to steal personal data, while 17% encountered malware, 16% faced attempts to steal passwords and 15% reported fraud schemes created using artificial intelligence.
The survey found that 83% of respondents consider the potential consequences of cyberattacks serious. Meanwhile, 76% regard clicking on a link without checking the sender as dangerous, while 74% consider using the same password for personal and work accounts to be a security risk.
However, these practices are followed less consistently. Only 54% of workers said they check the sender before clicking links, while just half said they always lock their computers when leaving their workstations.
Although 72% said they could recognize a suspicious email, only 48% were confident they could identify a fake video generated using AI.
The European Commission noted that cybersecurity awareness and adherence to basic cyber hygiene rules vary significantly by age. Young people aged 15 to 24 demonstrated lower levels of awareness, which the Commission said highlights the need for more targeted training.