More workers in Ireland than the EU average believe in the importance of cybersecurity, according to Eurobarometer research.

Three in four EU-based employees said they recently came across suspicious emails, messages or links at work, a new survey finds, highlighting the growing risk cybercriminals pose to organisations across the bloc.

According to a new Eurobarometer report, which interviewed more than 25,000 EU workers, phishing remained the most common threat over the six-month period examined – which ended in May of this year – followed by data theft and malware. 15pc of reported incidents over the period related to AI-generated scams.

72pc of the surveyed workers said they felt confident spotting suspicious emails, but only 48pc said they could identity an AI-generated fake video.

Threat actors use AI to assist in compounding the severity of their attacks, including with realistic voice phishing and using the latest models to exploit vulnerabilities in an organisation’s security systems, making its true usage in cyberattacks difficult to ascertain.

The report found that younger employees (aged 15 to 24) reported the highest exposure, with 81pc reporting encountering suspicious messages, compared to just 54pc of those aged 50 and over. Those aged above 50, however, are also more risk-aware, the report found.

The survey highlights a “clear gap between awareness and everyday practice” – while most employees recognise risky online behaviour, basic cyber hygiene is not yet systematic, the Eurobarometer report said. It concluded that younger workers, in particular, needed targeted training, despite 60pc of the surveyed workers reporting that they received cybersecurity training in the past year.

Irish workers, however, are more risk-conscious when compared to the EU-wide average. Of the more than 1,000 workers interviewed in Ireland, 61pc said that they believed cybersecurity is “very important” for their organisation, compared to the EU average of 53pc.

57pc of Irish workers also fear “very serious” consequences if their organisation was attacked, compared to 37pc across the EU.

Ireland-based workers also reported higher-than-average instances of AI-generated scams and fraudulent online payments. Across the EU, Spain, Luxembourg and France reported the highest exposure to cyberthreats.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.