Nearly one in three office workers in Ireland use their work-issued device for personal activities, according to new survey findings released today by Auxilion. The research highlights a range of everyday workplace behaviours that, taken together, may increase organisational exposure to cybersecurity risks.
The survey of 1,000 office workers aged 18 and over was conducted in July 2025 by Censuswide on behalf of Auxilion and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. It found that 31% of respondents reported using their work device for personal use, while 32% admitted to clicking on a suspicious link or email while at work. The findings point to the continued role of human behaviour in shaping cybersecurity outcomes across organisations.
The research also shows that 22% of office workers have used public Wi-Fi networks to access sensitive company documents. In addition, 26% said they had entered sensitive company or customer information into an artificial intelligence tool, and 33% acknowledged using unauthorised tools to complete work tasks more quickly. Despite this, almost three quarters of respondents, or 73%, expressed confidence in their ability to identify a potential cyber threat.
Password practices emerged as another area of concern. Nearly one in five respondents, or 19%, admitted to sharing their work password with friends or family members, while 14% said they reuse the same password for both work and personal accounts. Although 54% of respondents said they feel confident in their password security, 10% indicated that they do not.
Against this backdrop, almost a quarter of organisations, or 23%, reported experiencing a cybersecurity breach within the past 12 months. The prevalence was highest in the public sector, where 28% of organisations reported a breach over the same period. The survey also found that 23% of office workers did not report a known security breach, even when aware that a cybersecurity incident had occurred.
The findings suggest that awareness initiatives are becoming more common, but gaps remain. More than half of organisations surveyed, 55%, have carried out simulated phishing exercises as a way to increase employee awareness of cyber threats. However, 25% of respondents believe their organisation does not have adequate security and data loss prevention measures in place, and 32% said they do not receive regular cybersecurity training from their employer.
Martin Patterson, Head of Innovation at Auxilion, said the results underline the importance of addressing human factors alongside technical controls. “While it is not unexpected that employees occasionally use work devices for personal tasks, the survey highlights how routine actions can have wider security implications. Activities such as interacting with emails or using AI tools can inadvertently expose organisations to risk if appropriate safeguards and awareness are not in place,” he said.
Patterson added that employee education plays a central role in strengthening organisational resilience. “Human behaviour remains a significant factor in cybersecurity incidents. Ongoing training and clear reporting processes are essential in helping employees recognise and respond to potential threats in a timely manner,” he said.
Auxilion is an Irish IT managed services provider supporting organisations across the public and private sectors.
The survey was conducted in accordance with the Market Research Society code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council. The findings are based on responses from office workers in the Republic of Ireland and reflect self-reported behaviours during the course of a typical working year.
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