Are 'impulsive' staff exposing you to cyber attacks?

Some employees think they can hack their way out of any IT problem

BY Rachel Ranosa 24 Sep 2019

Another bug, another quick fix on the office computer. No need to call IT for a minor problem, right? Wrong!

Employees who skip the IT Department’s assistance when troubleshooting their office tools are exposing their company to a host of cybersecurity threats, a new survey from software company Citrix revealed.

Nearly a third of workers (31%) in Australia are guilty of hunting for tech solutions and tinkering with enterprise tools without guidance from IT just to avoid having to file a ticket and waiting for the helpdesk to respond.

These workers can be classified as having an “impulsive” tech personality: people who have a substantial knowledge of IT but who like to hack their way out of a tech problem.

‘Impulsive’ personality
This type of behaviour may seem harmless to the employee who believes they can navigate their way out of a simple glitch or bug. But it runs the risk of introducing cybercriminals to the company’s computer system either through the use of malicious software or phishing attacks.

The problem lies in the employees’ attitude toward workplace technology.

About three in five employees (57%) said they would rather use free online references and tools to fix the problem on their own; ask another colleague for help; or simply grapple with glitchy tools without ever asking for assistance.

Moreover, two in five workers (40%) said they ignore their employer’s security protocols and IT regulations in order to access public Wi-Fi networks for their work.

“Our research has shown that Australian workers are not afraid of tackling the latest and greatest technology to get work done,” said Erin Butler, area vice president for Citrix Australia and New Zealand.

“However, where businesses have challenges is around ensuring employee security, compliance and availability. The data shows that large numbers of employees will use unsecured Wi-Fi networks and find their own workarounds simply to get work done.”