Employees prioritize productivity, bypassing security in age of AI

The pressure for employees to perform has never been greater than it is now. In fact, they are bypassing IT and security policies at their companies and using unapproved apps and devices to keep up their productivity.

A new survey from 1Password, in its report, “Balancing act: Security and productivity in the age of AI,” shows the following results:

• A major concern: Nearly 1 in 5 employees (17%) admit to never doing their work on employer-provided devices. 
• Slacking on security: More than half of employees (54%) admit to being lax about their company’s security policies. Reasons include a desire to get things done quickly and be productive (24%). 
• App creep: 1 in 3 employees (34%) admit to using Shadow IT — or unapproved apps and tools — to be more productive. On average, these workers use a total of five unapproved apps or tools — each representing a potential new threat vector.  
• Blaming security shortfalls on employers: Nearly half of employees say security would be less of an issue if leaders made tools easier to use and policies easier to follow.

“Since the pandemic, employees have gained unprecedented flexibility in where and how they work, and that flexibility often extends to the apps and devices they use. Productivity has become paramount, leaving significant security challenges for IT and security leaders — who often feel like they don’t have bandwidth or budget to keep employees secure,” said Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password. “When it comes to security and productivity, it shouldn’t be either-or. Businesses and security providers alike need to deliver solutions that keep employees protected and productive — no matter how they prefer to work. When you secure your people, you secure your business.”

The major issue is that IT teams cannot keep up with the pace of technology. Eighty percent of organizations maintained or expanded the volume of apps and tools available to employees but 50% of security professionals say it’s almost impossible to find the right balance between security and employee productivity.

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As well, 27% of security professionals say that emerging unproven technologies like AI are some of the biggest security threats their company faces today. About half say their company is struggling to safeguard employees as they use new technologies.

The report concludes that it will be incumbent upon businesses and security providers to deliver solutions that magnify human brilliance while maximizing organizational security – regardless of what threats and opportunities lie ahead.