Study finds data breaches by workers on the rise

The number of accidental data breaches by employees in the UK has reached the highest level it has been in more than half a decade, the latest research has revealed.

This research was conducted by the financial advice firm Nockolds and it shows an annual rise of 14% in the number of data breaches. The last time the number for a single year was higher was back in 2019. Over the course of last year, there were 3,679 reported breaches of data in the UK. The figure for 2023 was 3,208. Nockolds based its findings on Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reports.

In addition to the big increase in data breaches, last year also saw a major rise in the number of workplace phishing attacks. There were 758 of those reported for the year, compared with 486 in 2023. That is a rise of 56%.

All of this will be concerning for UK businesses, and it has led to discussion about what HR teams can do to combat the problem. Mauve Group compliance and legal director Lorna Ferrie told HR Magazine that they must be proactive due to the cost for their companies.

She then added:

“If regulators identify areas of non-compliance or process gaps in safeguarding employee data, they aren’t afraid to hand out serious fines. Financial consequences can topple small businesses and penalise larger organisations.”

Ensuring data security has been made more difficult by remote working, so a culture change may be needed. Hiring a company culture consultant could help make the process easier for firms.