Corporate managers, more so than rank-and-file workers, put their companies at high risk of data breaches and intellectual property loss, according to the survey results from Stroz Freidberg.

"On the Pulse: Information Security Risk in American Business", a survey of more than 750 information workers in U.S. businesses, reports that 87% of senior managers frequently or occasionally send work materials to personal email or cloud accounts, thereby increasing data breaches, and that 58% of senior managers say they have accidently sent the wrong person sensitive information, compared to 25% of workers overall.

Risk doesn't increase when corporate managers leave the company: More than 50% of senior management and 37% of mid-level management admit to bringing job-related emails, files or materials with them after leaving their employers. About 20% of lower ranking employees do so.

"Insiders are by far the biggest risk to the security of a company's sensitive information, whether it's a careless executive or a disgruntled employee," said Michael Patsalos-Fox, CEO of Stroz Friedberg.

Despite self-acknowledging that C-suite leaders are responsible for protecting their own companies against cyber risk, 52% of senior managers say they are failing at reducing cyber-threat risks.

Bring-your-own-device workplaces also open the doors to hackers, malware and viruses. Corporation communication and training and mitigate that risk, but only 35% of employees at those BYOD companies say that they reciceved training on mobile device security from their employers.

Special Reports /

Survey: Senior Managers Responsible for Most Information Security Risks

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