Recent years have seen a heightened emphasis on the role of executive leadership in the battle against cybercrime. A new analysis from Barracuda Networks demonstrates that managers are more prone to disobey the regulations they should adhere to.

Cyber security is seen as more crucial by upper-level management. This is evidenced by a recent survey conducted in Australia, which gathered responses from 504 IT managers and other employees at businesses with 50 or more staff members.

Sixty-six percent of managers responded to the study as "very aware" of the necessity of cyber security, whereas just 53 percent of other employees responded similarly. On the other hand, managers frequently bypass these safeguards and manually handle tasks like software upgrades and data backups. For instance, 52% of managers report using illegal third-party software or cloud services to do their jobs, while just 44% say the same about their direct reports. They are related to the work of the other staff members.

According to Peter Gustafsson, head of Barracuda Networks, "as a manager, you are an important carrier of culture for an organization. If the actions of managers reflect that cyber security is unimportant, it can send completely wrong signals to employees. Fortunately, I think most managers take cyber security seriously - also in practice."

The study's results suggest that IT security measures directly impact 58 percent of the workforce in upper management said that it interferes with their productivity. Almost 20% of managers report "frequently" breaking safety regulations in the name of productivity.

If IT security is to be effective, then it must be a problem-free and integrated part of the work; otherwise, you quickly end up with employees finding their solutions, which in turn creates opportunities for cybercriminals, as noted by Peter Gustafsson.

Barracuda Networks commissioned StollzNow Research to carry out the survey. Companies having at least 50 computer-using employees in Australia are represented in the poll, as are 504 IT managers and other staff.

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