2020 State of the Phish

An in-depth look at user awareness, vulnerability and resilience

INTRODUCTION

Do you have a good sense of how well users understand cybersecurity terms and best practices? Do you know the top issues infosec teams are dealing with as a result of phishing attacks? How about the ways organizations are fi ghting phishing attacks and the successes (and struggles) they’re experiencing?

Our sixth annual State of the Phish report again brings you critical, actionable insights into the current state of the phishing threat. You’ll learn about:

• The end-user awareness and knowledge gaps that could be hurting your cybersecurity defenses
• The impacts information security professionals are experiencing because of phishing attacks and the ways they’re trying to combat these threats
• How Proofpoint customers are approaching phishing awareness training, and the ways we’re helping them measure program success

SECTION 1

In the Mind of the End User: Global Awareness Levels

We like to kick off State of the Phish with a look at cybersecurity awareness of end users around the globe. This year’s survey—which we conducted via a third party—polled more than 3,500 working adults across seven countries (the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom).

As in years past, we assessed the following:

• Recognition of commonly used cybersecurity terms: phishing, ransomware, malware, smishing (SMS/text phishing) and vishing (voice phishing)
• Understanding of the limits of technical safeguards when it comes to identifying (and fi xing) malware-related incidents
• Whether younger workers have an edge over older workers in cybersecurity knowledge This year we added questions about a broader set of cybersecurity behaviors and beliefs. We found that many workers remain unaware of fundamental best practices. This lack of knowledge can exacerbate the phishing threat and undermine your security posture.

This section covers these topics:

• Smartphone and Wi-Fi usage
• Password management
• Virtual private network (VPN) usage
• Use of work devices for personal activities

We highlight global averages, calling attention to regional outliers and other notable findings.

Download the report today to find out more!