Survey Finds 18.5% of Pakistani Employees Make IT Mistakes Due to Cybersecurity Knowledge Gaps

ISLAMABAD: A recent survey titled “Cybersecurity in the Workplace: Employee Knowledge and Behavior,” conducted by Kaspersky, reveals that 18.5% of employees in Pakistan within the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region admitted to making IT-related errors due to insufficient cybersecurity awareness.

The same survey identifies key factors contributing to workplace IT mistakes: 20.5% cited rushing, 15% overlooked tasks due to fatigue or stress, 16% attributed errors to excessive notifications, and another 16% blamed overly complex digital environments.

Experts warn that the relentless influx of notifications, alerts, and information overload can trigger costly errors, missed social engineering threats, and even compromise organizational security.

The study also highlights concerning digital workspace habits. A majority (37%) of respondents reported having 10 to 20 desktop icons, while 36.5% admitted to cluttering entire screens. Browser tab management is equally problematic, with 30% maintaining over 10 open tabs simultaneously. Such digital chaos not only distracts focus but may also impair device performance and enable unintended data collection by unused applications.

While 10% of employees adopted regular keyboard and screen cleaning habits post-pandemic, digital decluttering lags behind. Nearly 58.5% clean unnecessary files monthly, yet nearly half engage in digital maintenance only quarterly or annually, leaving systems vulnerable to inefficiencies and security risks.

The survey also underscores poor break-time choices: 71% of employees spend breaks eating or drinking, while 44% use them for casual chats. Only 13.5% engage in stretching or physical activity—activities proven to alleviate stress and sharpen focus.

“Digital fatigue is a critical, escalating issue,” notes Brandon Muller, Senior Security Consultant for Kaspersky’s META region. “Constant notifications and information overload erode vigilance, making employees prime targets for mistakes and cyberattacks. Simplifying digital workflows isn’t just a productivity boost—it’s a cybersecurity imperative.”

To mitigate risks, cybersecurity experts urge employees to streamline their digital environments: remove unnecessary desktop icons or organize files into folders, consolidate browser tabs by bookmarking essential pages, uninstall obsolete software, and restrict non-critical notifications during focused work periods.

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