UK Managers Improve Cyber Knowledge but Staff Training Lacking

Managers in UK organizations are getting better at understanding online safety best practice, but their skills are not necessarily matched by other employees, a new study has found.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) surveyed 1000 managers in March for its latest Managers Voice Pulse Point Poll.

It revealed that 93% now claim to have an “intermediate” or “advanced” understanding of online safety practices, such as using strong passwords and avoiding phishing scams. That’s up four percentage points from a year ago.

However, only 59% claimed that their organization offers regular cybersecurity training to all employees. By contrast, 79% of managers said they’ve participated in cybersecurity training or awareness programmes in the past year.

This matters, because it theoretically takes just one misplaced click on a phishing link or approval of a money transfer request to land the entire organization in trouble.

Read more on managers: Two in Five IT Security Managers Considering Quitting Their Jobs.

Most (92%) respondents agreed that employers have a responsibility to improve the digital skills of their staff.

Yet even though they’re improving in terms of cybersecurity awareness, the vast majority (80%) of managers surveyed also admitted their own digital skills still need enhancing.

“While it’s encouraging to see a rise in cybersecurity awareness, much work remains,” argued CMI policy director, Anthony Painter.

“Employees are the first line of defense and organizations must invest in upskilling their teams to create a resilient workforce. As we face growing digital challenges, [such as] access to emerging technologies, our biggest assets remain our people and their continuous development.”

The findings come amid growing concern over the cyber-resilience of public sector organizations following high-profile breaches at the Electoral Commission, the UK Ministry of Defence and in the NHS supply chain.

Some 85% of respondents said they’re concerned about mounting cyber threats, according to the CMI.

“Cybersecurity breaches and attacks are not just common; they are disrupting critical public services that millions of UK citizens rely on,” said Painter. “Leaders in our public sector have a crucial role in addressing these threats to safeguard essential services.”

A majority of respondents said that their organization deploys software and system updates (78%), enhanced access controls such as multifactor authentication (66%), and file-sharing solutions with restricted access (65%).