How Your Company Can Combat Tech Addiction
Ani Banerjee, chief human resources officer at KnowBe4, offers proactive strategies to help your employees reduce their addiction to tech. It’s a surprisingly simple way to bolster your organization’s cybersecurity efforts.
In 2007, the iPhone was launched. The rest, as they say, is history. In less than two decades, digital devices have become ubiquitous across personal and business settings. So ubiquitous that they are virtually inescapable. That comes with both a great deal of positive potential for people to manage their lives, but also some peril—both for them and the organizations they work for.
Being tethered to digital devices continually, often from bed rise to bed sleep, has led to well-documented problems for people—from tech addiction to burnout. The use and overuse of digital devices can impact employee productivity and engagement. It also raises the potential for employees to fall prey to phishing attacks and other cyber threats that have the potential to damage company data, systems, and reputations.
Increasing Attacks Drive Ongoing Concern
Phishing attacks and other cyber threats have increased significantly, which is disturbing given they more than doubled during the pandemic. According to the 2024 Phishing Report from Zscaler ThreatLabz, phishing attacks surged 58% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Cybercriminals exploit human weaknesses, including gullibility, curiosity, impulsivity, and just plain tiredness and lack of attention to warning signs. They’re also leaning on generative AI to eliminate the telltale spelling errors and bad grammar from their messages, which means more people are falling for them.
Organizations employ a wide range of technological safeguards to help minimize the damage that cyber-attacks can cause, from firewalls to data encryption to access control mechanisms.
But technology isn’t the only solution or a reliable safeguard against these attacks. In many cases, people are.
Combatting Tech Addiction to Thwart Cyber Attacks
Data and the experiences of countless organizations over the past several years point to the important role that employees can play in helping to safeguard against cyber-attacks. As we’ve consistently pointed out, people are a critical line of offense against these attacks.
As we’ve seen, though, people can be vulnerable—especially if they suffer from tech addiction and the burnout that the overuse of technological devices can lead to. The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that human error accounts for nearly 70% of breaches.
Organizations can help to address and combat burnout and its negative impacts by helping employers recognize and address damaging behaviors. Practical strategies include:
- Creating digital-free zones and designated digital-free time.
- Limiting work-related emailing outside of working hours.
- Reflecting on the importance of real-life experiences.
Let’s drill down further into these to consider some important and actionable best practice insights you can readily adopt in your organization.
Creating Digital-Free Zones and Designated Digital-Free Time
One practical strategy to address tech addiction is to create digital-free zones and designated digital-free time. This can be done on-site and when employees work remotely by raising awareness and establishing policies and guidelines to manage overuse.
Encouraging employees to disconnect from their devices during specific periods can help them better connect in real life. Focusing on the importance of taking a break from technology and engaging with the world outside can help reduce dependence and the stress that leads to burnout. That, in turn, can drive a healthier work-life balance.
Limiting Work-related Emailing Outside of Working Hours
Another effective approach is to limit work-related email outside of working hours. By setting boundaries on when employees should engage in work-related communication, organizations can reduce the pressure to be constantly connected and decrease the likelihood of burnout. This, in turn, can lead to increased attentiveness and a reduced susceptibility to cyber threats.
For instance, some companies institute no email policies after work hours or on weekends. Ensuring managers also abide by these rules can help employees minimize the risk of needing to respond to managers whenever and wherever they contact them.
Reflecting on the Importance of Real-life Experiences
Encouraging employees to reflect on the importance of real-life experiences can help combat tech addiction. We’ve all had real-life experiences of overusing or overly relying on digital devices. Sharing these experiences can be powerful in helping to personalize and put into perspective the critical role employees can play in protecting company data and systems.
When employees feel that “we’re all in this together,”—their compulsion to overuse their devices can diminish. By promoting a culture that values personal connections and experiences outside of the digital realm and supporting employees’ mental health, organizations can foster a healthier work environment and reduce the risk of burnout.
Enhancing cybersecurity best practices involves conducting phishing simulation exercises to raise employee awareness and preparedness in detecting phishing attacks. Real-world examples and hands-on experiences can educate employees on social engineering tactics. Organizations should empower employees to be a critical defense layer against cybercriminals.
Horror stories abound and are reported by the media regularly. If you don’t want your organization to experience the types of ransomware attacks that recently plagued Change Healthcare and CDK Global, taking a people-first approach to data security to ensure that employees can effectively manage their tech interactions and ease burnout can lead to the kind of results you want to see.
Addressing tech addiction and work burnout is crucial to strengthen cybersecurity. By taking proactive steps to combat tech addiction, promote a healthy work-life balance, and empower employees to be critical defense layers against cybercrime, organizations help minimize the potential and impact of cyber-attacks.
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