National Cybersecurity Alliance’s annual report for 2024-25
The National Cybersecurity Alliance has put out its annual report on cybersecurity attitudes and behaviors, and the data can tell us a lot about cybersecurity attitudes and habits.
The Alliance surveyed more than 7,000 participants from India, Germany, the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Topics included artificial intelligence, passwords, software updates, and more.
Here are some of the important findings from the 2024-2025 report, and some suggested actionable steps based on the attitudes and behaviors discovered:
Password habits
Many organizations lay out password best practices. These include checking if passwords have been breached, avoiding dictionary words and repetitive or simple patterns, and increasing password length.
Below are some of the findings about real password habits:
- 35 PERCENT reported using personal information in their passwords, with 52 percent of Gen Z users, 45 percent of Millennials, 28 percent of Gen X users, and 21 percent of Baby Boomers reporting doing so.
Further password findings:
- 40 percent of participants said they create passwords using a single dictionary word or a name.
- Only 66 percent of those who have heard of multi-factor authentication (MFA) are actively using it.
- 65 percent reported using a separate password either “all of the time” or “a majority of the time.”
Cybersecurity stats
AI Tools and Security: 38 percent of survey respondents admitted to sharing sensitive work information with artificial intelligence, without telling their employer.
AI-generated Content: 44 percent of employed participants felt confident in recognizing AI-generated content. Though, many noted struggling with the sophistication of phishing messages since the rise of AI.
Security Training: 29 percent of participants reported completing continuous training throughout the year. This means, fewer than one-third are equipped to stay secure against the newest threats.
Multi-Factory Authentication: 81 percent of participants have heard of multi-factor authentication or MFA. This is 11% higher than last year’s survey results!
Data lessons
- At the end of the report, many key findings were outlined. These include: Just being aware of cybersecurity risks is not enough. We need to make sure we are implementing cybersecurity best practices too.
- Many people are oversharing with AI chatbots. All users should avoid putting sensitive personal or company information into AI chatbot programs.
- Security fatigue is kicking in. Many think it is more difficult to stay safe online.
Handling security fatigue
A key takeaway from this year’s collected data is that security fatigue is common.
With all of the constant threats and changes, cybersecurity can feel overwhelming.
Be sure to take your security one step at a time. Always follow any organizational requirements, and then begin implementing other security best practices into your personal life, as well.
Invest in tools that will save you time and effort like password managers, using biometric verification when possible, and engaging in efficiency training.
Visit https://staysafeonline.org/ to view the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s full 139-page report.
Reach Blair IT to keep your network safe and secure
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Contact the security experts at Blair IT to discuss how to create a network protected against scammers and cyber criminals. Call us at 614-898-9925 or fill out our online form to request a consultation today.