Employees understand what a cyberattack costs but do not expect it to start with them, according to research from learning provider Mindtools Kineo. Its report, Cybersecurity's Tipping Point, found that 84 percent recognised the financial damage an incident could do to their employer, while 55 percent doubted their own workplace internet activity could expose confidential or work-related information.
The study drew on 296 participants in 33 countries, assessed between June and July 2026 across nine industries. Eighty percent had access to sensitive business data and 57 percent handled sensitive personal information.
Almost one in four (24 percent) believed security incidents were more likely elsewhere in the business than in roles like theirs, and one in five did not think their device could realistically be targeted by phishing. Employees rated the severity of an incident at least 15 percent higher, on average, than their own vulnerability to one. A further 86 percent agreed an incident could seriously damage their professional reputation.
The finding that matters most for security teams is which belief predicts behaviour. Employees who felt personally vulnerable showed better password habits, more online vigilance and a stronger tendency to follow up on security concerns, while awareness of how damaging an attack could be was a much weaker predictor.
“Businesses have spent years telling employees how damaging a cyberattack can be. Our findings suggest that many people have understood that message but still do not believe the attack is likely to begin with them,” said Dr. Anastasia Voronkova, insights analyst at Mindtools Kineo.
The researchers advise making risks concrete for each role, showing how particular attacks reach employees and which everyday decisions expose data. They also caution against relying on fear, because confidence in being able to act securely was another consistent predictor of better behaviour.
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