Passwords on Post-Its: 2025 Cybersecurity Pulse Survey uncovers alarming employee behaviors

    July 11, 2025
    Risky employee habits are leaving organizations vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
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    Traliant today released its latest research, The State of Cyber: 2025 Cybersecurity Pulse Survey, highlighting a persistent gap between cybersecurity awareness and practice—including risky employee habits that leave organizations vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

    Based on a survey of over 600 full-time US employees across various industries, the research found:

    • 18% of employees reuse passwords across work accounts, creating cascading risk if one account is compromised.

    • 23% write down passwords, exposing credentials to loss or theft.

    • Only 30% use password managers, and less than half (46%) consistently use multi-factor authentication (MFA).

    • 42% have accessed sensitive company information on personal devices without IT approval.

    • 78% say they’re not fully confident in spotting more advanced phishing attacks like deepfakes or voice spoofing.

    • 40% report that current cybersecurity training doesn’t feel relevant to their day-to-day responsibilities.

    “AI-engineered cyberthreats have become more complex, harder to detect, and exploit employee behaviors,” said John Brushwood, Compliance Counsel at Traliant. “Organizations must rethink how they engage employees around cybersecurity because today’s threats are no longer a tech-only issue—they’re a human one. It’s critical for HR and IT to work together to make a measurable impact on building a stronger culture of cyber vigilance.”

    The survey emphasizes the importance of equipping employees with training that is relatable and actionable and that provides practical tools and real-world scenarios to build and reinforce cyber awareness, not just to reduce security risks, but to foster a culture of accountability.

    Read the full Cybersecurity Pulse Survey report here.

    About the Survey

    The independent market research firm Researchscape conducted this online survey of 656 US-employed adults across healthcare, hospitality, retail, industrial, manufacturing, and in-office/professional sectors. Participants work at organizations with 100+ employees. The survey was conducted from March 28 to April 1, 2025.