Survey shows three‑quarters of EU workers face cyber threats

A Eurobarometer survey of more than 25,000 EU employees found that three in four encountered suspicious emails, messages or links at work, highlighting the scale of cyber risk across the bloc.

Phishing was identified as the most common threat over the past six months, followed by data theft and malware. AI‑generated scams accounted for 15 % of reported incidents, and only 48 % of respondents said they could identify a fake video created with artificial intelligence.

Younger staff were most exposed: 81 % of workers aged 15‑24 reported suspicious messages, compared with 54 % of those aged 50 and over, who were also found to be more risk‑aware. Although 60 % of all respondents said they had received cybersecurity training in the previous year, the report noted a “clear gap between awareness and everyday practice”.

Irish workers appeared more risk‑averse than the EU average. Of the more than 1,000 Irish participants, 61 % believed cybersecurity was important for their organisation, versus 53 % EU‑wide, and 57 % feared very serious consequences if their company were attacked. Irish respondents also reported higher instances of AI‑generated scams and fraudulent online payments.

The survey concluded that targeted training, especially for younger employees, is needed to improve cyber hygiene across Europe.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Jakub Zerdzicki / Pexels.