61% of CIOs believe employees leak data maliciously
.jpg)
Significant data breaches seem to happen on almost a weekly basis – and those are just the publicised ones.
Given the bulk of these breaches can be put down to human error, Egress conducted a survey (Insider Data Breach) to examine the root causes of employee-driven data breaches, their frequency, and impact.
The research was carried out by independent research organisation Opinion Matters and incorporated the views of more than 250 US and UK-based IT leaders (CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and IT directors), and over 2000 US and UK-based employees.
One of the starkest findings was the significant chasm between IT leaders and employees over data security and ownership, effectively undermining any attempts to stem the growing tide of insider breach incidents.
This is a major challenge for businesses, as insider data breaches are viewed as frequent and damaging occurrences, of concern to 95% of IT leaders, yet the vectors for those breaches – employees – are either unaware of, or unwilling to admit, their responsibility.
Some of the key findings included:
- 79% of IT leaders believe that employees have put company data at risk accidentally in the last 12 months. 61% believe they have done so maliciously.
- 30% of IT leaders believe that data is being leaked to harm the organisation. 28% believe that employees leak data for financial gain.
- 92% of employees say they haven’t accidentally broken company data sharing policy in the last 12 months; 91% say they haven’t done so intentionally.
- 60% of IT leaders believe that they will suffer an accidental insider breach in the next 12 months; 46% believe they will suffer a malicious insider breach.
- 23% of employees who intentionally shared company data took it with them to a new job.
- 29% of employees believe they have ownership of the data they have worked on.
- 55% of employees that intentionally shared data against company rules said their organisation didn’t provide them with the tools needed to share sensitive information securely.
In terms of the root causes of insider breaches, IT leaders were most likely to say that employee carelessness through rushing and making mistakes was the reason (60%), followed by a general lack of awareness (44%), and a lack of training on the company’s security tools (36%).
And then of course, there are the more malicious breaches with 30% believing data is being leaked to harm the organisation, while 28% say that employees leak data for financial gain.
From the employee perspective, of those who had accidentally shared data, almost half (48%) said they had been rushing, 30% blamed a high-pressure working environment and 29% said it happened because they were tired.
The most frequently cited employee error was accidentally sending data to the wrong person (45%), while 27% had been caught out by phishing emails. Interestingly, more than a third of employees (35%) were simply unaware that information should not be shared.
“The results of the survey emphasise a growing disconnect between IT leaders and staff on data security, which ultimately puts everyone at risk. While IT leaders seem to expect employees to put data at risk – they’re not providing the tools and training required to stop the data breach from happening,” says Egress CEO and co-founder Tony Pepper.
“Technology needs to be part of the solution. By implementing security solutions that are easy to use and work within the daily flow of how data is shared, combined with advanced AI that prevents data from being leaked, IT leaders can move from minimising data breaches to stopping them from happening in the first place.”
The survey also highlighted significant confusion around data ownership and ethics, with 60% of employee respondents not recognising that the organisation is the exclusive owner of company data.
“As the quantity of unstructured data and variety of ways to share it continue to grow exponentially, the number of insider breaches will keep rising unless the gulf between IT leaders and employee perceptions of data protection is closed. Employees don’t understand what constitutes acceptable behaviour around data sharing and are not confident that they have the tools to work effectively with sensitive information,” says Pepper.
“The results of this research show that reducing the risk of insider breaches requires a multi-faceted approach combining user education, policies and technology to support users to work safely and responsibly with company data.”
source securitybriefeu
Industry: Cyber Security News

Latest Jobs
-
- CyberArk Architect
- London
- Upto £110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Are you ready to lead from the front and drive innovation in the Identity & Access Management (IAM) space? We’re looking for a seasoned CyberArk Architect who has CDE-CPC ideally or experience with privilege Cloud, someone who can lead with vision, execute with precision, and inspire teams to deliver excellence. As a key leader in our organisation, you’ll bring your strong business acumen and a technology-focused, innovative mindset to the table. You’ll be driving strategic initiatives, shaping transformation programs, and empowering teams to think big and deliver even bigger. Acting as a subject matter expert in CyberArk Leading strategic transformations in: Identity Governance Privileged Access Management (PAM) Access Management Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships within the team Communicating clearly and confidently — both written and verbal — to deliver updates, raise potential issues, and share insights If you are interested in the above position we are looking for people with: deep expertise and a successful track record in IAM strategy, delivery, or assurance with CyberArk Hold relevant certifications such as CDE in Privileged Cloud or Guardian Have experience in a client-facing role (preferred, but not essential) Thrive in a hybrid working environment and are available to work from our or client London office three days a week Lead with clarity, communicate with impact, and adapt quickly to changing priorities
-
- OUTSIDE IR35 Splunk Engineer- SC Cleared.
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
OUTSIDE IR35 Splunk Engineer- SC Cleared. You will be responsible for consolidating Splunk ES data from multiple feeds into a single pane of glass to enhance visibility and streamline security operations.
-
- Identity & Access Management Architect
- Edinburgh
- Upto £95000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Location: Edinburgh | Hybrid Working | Permanent Are you an experienced Identity & Access Management professional with a passion for designing and implementing cutting-edge security solutions? We are looking for a Lead Architect, where you’ll play a key role in helping clients enhance their IAM capabilities, protect critical data, and navigate complex security challenges. About the Role As a Lead Architect, you will be responsible for shaping and delivering IAM strategies, designing robust security solutions, and driving long-term digital transformation. You’ll leverage your expertise to provide strategic guidance on areas such as: Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) Privileged Access Management (PAM) Access Management (AM) Entitlement Management Directories & Authentication Solutions You will have the opportunity to work with innovative technologies and frameworks, ensuring that businesses can securely manage access to critical assets while enabling growth. What You’ll Be Doing Providing subject matter expertise in IAM and leading transformation projects for clients Developing IAM roadmaps, operating models, and governance frameworks Driving innovation by integrating IAM capabilities into wider digital transformation strategies Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and stakeholders Designing and implementing scalable IAM solutions to meet business needs What We’re Looking For Proven experience in IAM strategy, solution architecture, or assurance Strong leadership skills with experience guiding technical teams Ability to work in a client-facing role, delivering clear communication and insights A technology-focused, innovative mindset with strong business acumen Willingness to work from our Edinburgh office 2-3 days per week
-
- Security Architect - Cloud - Consultancy London
- London
- N/A
-
Security Architect with a focus into Cloud (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform) needed. You must have client facing consultancy experience. This mean you must have experience working with clients helping them to meet their security design needs. That could include working with existing internal teams to understand, review and mitigate / uplift existing Cloud Security designs, or perhaps helping clients set out / understand their current needs and deliver their cloud security strategy. (Or anything in between) Technical knowledge is of course essential but working with clients to understand and solve their Cloud Security design challenges is vital. You must obviously have a current history working as a cloud security architect. You will need to be commutable to London. Whilst a hybrid role the expectation is 3 days a week in the office / meeting clients. International relocation or Visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role. Apply on this page and arrange a call here https://calendly.com/d/crpz-m7j-wyx