About 50 percent of millennials consider themselves "very knowledgeable" about cybersecurity, according to a T-Systems survey.
T-Systems, the corporate IT and cybersecurity arm of London-based telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom, tapped the research agency Censuswide to survey more than 2,000 U.K. employees about their cybersecurity awareness and behaviors.
Across all age cohorts, only 36 percent indicated they were "very knowledgeable" about cybersecurity. However, despite their self-reported knowledge, millennials also reported more unsafe online behaviors.
For example, 24 percent of employees aged 22 to 24 and 29 percent of employees aged 25 to 34 admitted they used the same passwords for email, social media and other online services, compared to the average, which sat at 21 percent. The researchers determined millennials were most likely to practice "sloppy" cybersecurity compared to older generations, according to the survey.
"The 'digital natives' of Generation Y, perhaps surprisingly, appear to be less security conscious than their middle-aged and baby boomer colleagues," said Scott Cairns, the U.K. head of cybersecurity at T-Systems. "Our research strongly suggests the problem lies with an overconfidence that comes from their very familiarity with electronic devices and the digital world."
To access the full survey, click here.
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