87% of UAE workers admit to sharing confidential company info

DUBAI: From client information and HR issues to corporate passwords and COVID-19 test results, UAE office workers have admitted to sharing confidential information with those outside their company, according to a new survey.

The study by Veritas Research, which surveyed 12,500 office workers across 10 countries, including the UAE, found that 87 percent of office workers in the emirates said they had shared sensitive and business-critical company data with those outside their organization.

Of the information disclosed, 28 percent was related to client information, 22 percent was details of HR issues, 19 percent was information in contracts, 33 percent was insights into their company’s business plans, 13 percent disclosed COVID-19 test results, 21 percent passed on company credit card details, and 11 percent admitted to handing over corporate passwords.

While a third of those surveyed said they had been reprimanded by senior management for revealing company information, 79 percent of respondents said they would probably do so again in the future.

“Business data is now everywhere. Deals are being done, orders are being processed, and sensitive personnel information is being shared, all through video-conferencing and messaging platforms,” said Johnny Karam, managing director and vice president of international emerging regions at Veritas Technologies.

“It is now critical for companies to include this rapidly growing volume of data in their protection and compliance envelope. If they don’t, the implications could be huge.”