IN THE PUSH TO STRENGTHEN DATA SECURITY , MANY WORKERS ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL DISILLUSIONED OR OVERWHELMED BY COMPLEX SECURITY RULES THAT APPEAR TO SERVE THE BUSINESS RATHER THAN SERVE THEM AS EMPLOYEES . workloads and keep pace with a growing list of security protocols .
H E A L T H I N S I G H T S
Data leaks : Human error , but not a human problem
While malicious inbound threats often dominate conversations around cybersecurity , it ’ s important not to overlook the impact of human error – one of the most common causes of data leaks . Employees aren ’ t just at risk of making mistakes due to negligence ; they ’ re often under pressure to meet tight deadlines , manage heavy
IN THE PUSH TO STRENGTHEN DATA SECURITY , MANY WORKERS ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL DISILLUSIONED OR OVERWHELMED BY COMPLEX SECURITY RULES THAT APPEAR TO SERVE THE BUSINESS RATHER THAN SERVE THEM AS EMPLOYEES . workloads and keep pace with a growing list of security protocols .
Both Mavridis and Musumeci noted that in fields such as healthcare and legal services , where efficiency and speed are paramount , security measures can feel like obstacles rather than safeguards . When people feel rushed or overwhelmed , the chances of errors multiply .
Human error is particularly common in data handling tasks like email , where autocomplete features , large attachments and sensitive information are everyday concerns . As Mavridis points out , in the legal sector , data from the UK ’ s Information Commissioner ’ s Office indicated that last year , 4.2 million people were potentially affected by law firm data breaches , with over half of those incidents tied to human error . These incidents could be caused by anything from relying too much on the autocomplete in an email address field , to accidentally emailing the wrong John or Jane at a third-party supplier or partner . This is an industry-wide issue , but it ’ s one that can be reduced by creating a work environment where secure practices are easier to follow than to bypass .
Mavridis went on to highlight that rather than viewing employees as a liability , organisations can instead treat them as their greatest asset in data security . When the right tools and processes are in place to support employees , they are more likely to follow secure practices without feeling burdened . Musumeci agreed : the focus should be on equipping people with simple , accessible tools that make it easy to do the right thing , reducing the reliance on manual vigilance and minimising the risk of errors .
Security by process , not by enforcement
For cybersecurity measures to be effective , they need to feel like a natural part of employees ’ daily routines . When security protocols add too much friction , employees are more likely to find workarounds , potentially increasing risk . Musumeci emphasised that in sectors where urgency is high such as healthcare , where split-second decision-making can sometimes mean the difference between life and death , employees are quite right
18 www . intelligenthealth . tech