‘Digital savvy’ millennials are more likely to fall victim to cyber threats than baby boomers and older generations, demonstrating a concerning lack of knowledge on cyber threats such as phishing and ransomware.

New research, commissioned by cybersecurity and compliance company Proofpoint for their fifth annual ‘State of the Phish’ report, also revealed that 83 percent of global respondents experienced phishing attacks in 2018, compared to just 10 percent of respondents reporting experiencing a ransomware attack.

Also amongst the standout findings was the revelation that despite popular belief, older generations were actually less likely to fall victim to cyber attacks than their younger counterparts. 58% of those aged 22-27 knew correctly what phishing was, compared to 73% of those aged 54+ who knew correctly what phishing was. In addition, 52% of those aged 54+ knew correctly what ransomware was, whereas only 40% of those aged 22-37 knew correctly what ransomware was.

“Email is the top cyberattack vector, and today’s cybercriminals are persistently targeting high-value individuals who have privileged access or handle sensitive data within an organisation,” said Joe Ferrara, general manager of Security Awareness Training for Proofpoint.

“As these threats grow in scope and sophistication, it is critical that organisations prioritise security awareness training to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices and establish a people-centric strategy to defend against threat actors’ unwavering focus on compromising end users.”

“Lack of cybersecurity awareness, in particular amongst the millennial/Generation Z demographic, presents a greater threat than many businesses expect,” added Adenike Cosgrove, strategist, EMEA, Proofpoint.

“Our latest research shows that surprisingly, older generational groups can more accurately identify threats such as phishing and ransomware than digitally-savvy millennials. This tells us that millennials, despite being much more comfortable and at ease with digital platforms, display greater complacency towards threats and perceived risks.

“With the percentage of millennials in the workforce set to reach 50 percent globally by 2020, it’s imperative that businesses focus on developing a people-centric approach to security and deploy cybersecurity awareness training programs that aim to change employee behaviour. The bottom line is that organisations that do not consider the human factor as a key pillar to their cyber defence strategy will continue to be prime targets for cybercriminals, putting their businesses at risk of potentially crippling attacks.”

A copy of the report can be downloaded here: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/threat-reports/state-of-phish