Information Risk and Human Resources
The Human face of Information Risk – Industry Sector
The last in our series of 5 mini blogs on the results of our recent survey into employee behaviour and how it relates to Information Risk. Does industry sector make a difference?
What sector does your organisation operate in? Are your employees more or less likely to want to act maliciously to damage your organisation? A nationwide survey into employee behaviour found, amongst other things, that there is quite a difference in what employees are prepared to do depending on the industry they work in.
| Sector |
Would |
Has |
Why (top reason) |
How (most responses) |
| Marketing |
82% |
12% |
Missing promotion | Gossip or divisive speech |
| Construction |
78% |
13% |
Missing promotion or low pay | Info to rivals |
| Transport & Distribution |
75% |
4% |
Lack of respect | Steal data |
| Hospitality |
73% |
14% |
Lack of respect | Info to rivals |
| Industry |
70% |
24% |
Missing promotion or low pay | Info to rivals |
| Media & Publishing |
69% |
14% |
Lack of respect or low pay | Other |
| Design |
66% |
11% |
Low pay | Not clear |
| Property |
66% |
12% |
Low pay | Info to rivals |
| Environmental Services |
64% |
8% |
Missing promotion | Divisive speech |
| Health |
62% |
2% |
Lack of respect | Other |
| Travel & Tourism |
62% |
5% |
Lack of respect or missing promotion | Other |
| Telecoms |
55% |
3% |
Lack of respect | Delete or move info |
| Gov. & Public Service | 53% | 3% | Low pay | Delete or move info & other |
| Computing & Electronics |
52% |
11% |
Low pay | Other |
| Entertainment |
50% |
/ |
Missing promotion | Other |
| Legal |
50% |
/ |
Lack of respect | Delete or move info |
| Voluntary Sector |
48% |
/ |
Lack of respect or missing promotion | Other |
| Finance |
48% |
3% |
Lack of respect | Delete or move info |
| Retail |
48% |
/ |
Lack of respect | Other |
| Utilities |
48% |
/ |
Missing promotion or low pay | Divisive speech |
| Agriculture |
40% |
/ |
/ | / |
| Culture & Sport |
39% |
/ |
/ | Delete or move info |
| Education |
30% |
/ |
Low pay | Other |
| Other |
56% |
2% |
/ | / |
The vast majority of the sectors surveyed follow the pattern of having over half of their workforce willing to sabotage their employer. Even those industries where Information Risk Management is a high priority, like Government and Finance, have a significant issue.
The massive 24% of people from Heavy Industry who admitted to already having compromised their company is worthy of note. Their reasons were poor pay or missing promotion, and they would do that by sending information to rivals. The impact this action could have on this sector are varied; from short term loss of sales and longer term degradation of competiveness.
Those employed in Education get the gold star in comparison to others, but even 30% of these people would choose to harm their employer’s business.
To find out more about the human factor of Information Security come along to Ascentor’s seminar. Simon Moore from the CBI and Gordon Morrison from Intellect, together with Ascentor’s MD, Dave James will be discussing the results and how to protect your company’s information. The Human Face of Information Risk – The Bristol Hotel – Thursday, 6th September 2012 .
