A recent survey of 1,000 full-time employees conducted by ObserveIT’s survey in the US and the UK has uncovered some worrying revelations in relation to workers’ knowledge of data privacy legislation.
The poll was taken in order to gauge workers’ understanding of existing privacy regulations that have an impact on their employer. Commenting on the results of the survey, ObserveIT CEO Mike McKee said: “Privacy regulations aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, over the next several years, we’ll likely see more regional policies go into effect as consumers demand more transparency around how their information is being used. We’re committed to helping organizations navigate this privacy-centric business environment by providing a deep understanding of user and data activity, ensuring the information of their customers and employees remains secure.”
Of those questioned in the United States, 53% of respondents said they were not familiar with any federal or state legislation in relation to how groups manage customer data. An additional question asked if the workers are familiar with any such specific legislation, only 16% referred to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation directly while 10% made reference to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). 3% mentioned Vermont’s data privacy law. Some 51% of those surveyed revealed that they were not knowledgeable with any of these three regulations.
Other results revealed the following:
- 59% in the US and 59% in the UK said they handle sensitive information on a daily basis
- 83% of UK-based respondents said they were familiar with data security policies implemented by their companies to ensure the protection of customer data in line with GDPR.
- 65% revealed that they are handling sensitive data differently since the introduction of GDPR in the UK.
- 83% (UK) said they know their responsibilities for data protection compliance as an employee since GDPR became law.
An additional question in the survey asked workers what they believed was the most viable way to stop loss of information in light of data breaches becoming more common.
- In the US, 43% of the respondents said that they believe tech solutions are the answer, leaving 37% of workers who cited employee training and 20% who referred to more stringent policies on technology usage.
- In the UK, only 4% pointed to tech solutions as the best option, while 35% cited employee training and 9% mentioned stricter policies on tech usage.
- Half of UK respondents said the most viable option was a combination of all three solutions.
In relation to the question on worker training and guidance the results show that there are a number of key differences between the US and UK. The included:
- In the US, 46% of respondents said they were given adequate training from their employers to make sure customer data is secured as dictated by regulations.
- In the UK, 67% of respondents said that they had been given adequate training.
You can read the ObserveIT full article on the survey results here.