Safety is the top priority for employees in the American workplace, and one of the issues they worry about most is cyber threats. With COVID-19 still fresh on everyone’s mind, only public health emergencies rated higher than cyberattacks in a newly published report.
According to the State of Employee Safety report by AlertMedia, a provider of emergency communication software, the top three threats weighing on U.S. workers are public health emergencies (79%), cyberattacks (65%) and severe weather (65%). Crime, which has been on the rise in the past two years, rated fourth, at 62%.
Employers should take note of the concern about cyberattacks, as well as the other threats that workers cited. Workers expect their employers to keep them safe: 90% of the 2,000-plus respondents to AlertMedia’s survey said they believe employers have a moral and legal obligation to protect them from harm when working or traveling for work.
“This data shows that the future of work may ultimately depend on the safety of employees. It is up to businesses to ensure that their employees are protected,” the report posited. AlertMedia says it conducted the research to gain an understanding of how safe employees feel at work in light of the shifts that have occurred in the workplace over the last two years.
POTUS Warning
The report comes on the heels of a message from President Joe Biden regarding a potential increase in cyber threats from Russia. Russia is under heavy financial and political sanctions by the U.S., NATO allies and even traditionally neutral nations such as Switzerland and Sweden since it invaded neighboring Ukraine at the end of February.
Cybersecurity professionals have been bracing for attempts by Russia to perpetrate a major attack, possibly targeting critical infrastructure, public utilities or vital data stores. In his statement, Biden alluded to intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks. “It’s part of Russia’s playbook,” he said.
“I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately by implementing the best practices we have developed together over the last year. You have the power, the capacity, and the responsibility to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies on which Americans rely. We need everyone to do their part,” the president said.
Be Prepared
The clear message, both from the president and respondents in the AlertMedia survey, is that companies have a responsibility to ensure they can defend against cyberattacks. It’s a responsibility that touches their employees and extends to customers, partners and other stakeholders.
Now is a good time for organizations to review their cybersecurity protocols and controls by looking closely at areas such as employee awareness, software patching and the condition of firewalls and VPNs. For guidance on what steps to take, consult the (ISC)² Cyber Preparedness Guide.