Report: 79% of Employees Are Distracted at Work Amid a Year of Permacrisis

PRESS RELEASE

TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — 1Password, the leader in human-centric security and privacy, today released its annual State of Access Report, Distraction on overdrive: Security in a time of permacrisis. Based on a survey of 2,000 North American workers, the report explores employees' sentiments and behaviors around cybersecurity and other critical aspects of modern work amid persistent global crises this year, coined 'permacrisis.' The findings reveal that sustained burnout, now paired with high levels of distraction, has critical implications for workplace security.

"While we hope the worst of the pandemic is behind us, world events continue to unsettle and distract employees. Mishaps are inevitable – it's not a case of if world distractions will make employees more vulnerable to human error, it's a matter of when," said Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password. "That's why it's vital that businesses take security off people's plates by implementing seamless systems that eliminate the need for human action. The easier we can make security, the less it will become yet another distraction. It's a win-win for employees and companies."

The Distraction Vortex
Workers have faced what can feel like an avalanche of crises and concerns over the past year. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the whipsawing financial markets and inflation, workers conveyed a vivid picture of their distraction on overdrive, with 53% related to economic or monetary concerns.

Security is Sinking In
Despite high-profile breaches and ransomware attacks generating splashy media headlines weekly, silver linings are evident amid the chaos. Awareness of cyberthreats is increasing, and security automation and systems are making headway, counterbalancing human shortcomings around security.

Security Slippage
Notable security improvements have been made in recent years, but our research shows that bad security hygiene persists in the modern workplace. Poor password habits are still prevalent, and 50% of employees say the biggest threat their company faces is the prospect of employees falling for scams or phishing attempts.

Tech Industry Trouble
Workers in the tech, IT and telecom industries reported being far more distracted compared to their non-tech counterparts. Tech workers are nearly twice as likely as others to say distractions make it hard to care about their jobs, and are more than three times as likely to do the bare minimum around security.

"Every crisis creates an opportunity for criminals to exploit victims via social engineering as they take advantage of psychological weaknesses. Many of the traditional human vulnerabilities are at greater risk in a time of permacrisis; curiosity, the power of authority figures, manufactured urgency, greed and other weaknesses will continue to be used to the attackers' advantage," said Troy Hunt, strategic advisor at 1Password and founder of Have I Been Pwned. "As the level of sophistication increases, even the most tech-savvy of us can fall victim to a well-crafted attack, and it's our job in the industry to build more resilient systems and tools."

For more information, read the full report.  

About 1Password
1Password's human-centric approach to security keeps people safe, at work and at home. Our solution is built from the ground up to enable anyone – no matter the level of technical proficiency – to navigate the digital world without fear or friction. The company's award-winning credentials management security platform is re-shaping the future of authentication and is trusted by over 100,000 businesses, including IBM, Slack, Snowflake, Shopify and Under Armour. 1Password protects the most sensitive information of millions of individuals and families across the globe, helping consumers and businesses get more done in less time – with security and privacy as a given. Learn more at 1Password.com.

Methodology
1Password conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method Research and distributed by Dynata among n=2,000 adults ages 18+ in North America (n=1,400 U.S. + n=600 Canada) who work full-time primarily at a computer. The sample consisted of respondents from any department and title within their company. The sample was equally split between gender groups with a balanced spread across age groups. Data was collected from October 14 to October 24, 2022.