At the recent Cyber Security Weekend 2026 conference, Kaspersky shared the findings from its survey titled “Cybersecurity in the workplace: Employee knowledge and behaviour” which was conducted among employees from the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region. The study highlights that everyday IT habits, including decluttering computers and reducing digital fatigue, can have a direct and often underestimated impact on an organisation's cyber resilience.
The Kaspersky survey points to a growing challenge of digital fatigue in the workplace. 8% of employees surveyed in South Africa confirmed that they made IT-related mistakes due to a lack of cybersecurity knowledge – a figure that shows the critical importance of continuous cybersecurity training and awareness programmes. Among other reasons behind IT mistakes, respondents cited being in a hurry (33%), oversight (12%), being tired or stressed (15%) and having too many notifications (9%). The constant barrage of alerts, messages, and on-screen clutter is becoming an acute problem that can lead to costly IT errors, overlooked social engineering attacks, and even to cyber breaches.
The survey also examined employees' digital workspace habits. An overwhelming 38% of respondents from South Africa reported having between 10 and 20 icons on their desktop, while 27,5% admitted to having even more - with half to a full screen covered in them. Meanwhile, 18% of respondents also keep more than 10 tabs open in their browser at any given time. Excessive icons and open tabs do more than distract attention and fuel procrastination - they can slow device performance and, in the case of unused applications, quietly collect data.
Interestingly, many employees regularly disinfect their keyboards and phone surfaces (18% have adopted this habit since the COVID pandemic). However, digital cleanliness has not kept pace: 47% of local respondents remove needless files once a month or more often; the rest perform digital clean-ups far less frequently – once a quarter, or even once a year.
Managing digital noise is key to staying alert: only essential notifications should remain active, especially during periods of deep focus on critical project deliverables. Regular breaks are just as vital for maintaining both well-being and cyber vigilance. According to the survey, 88% of respondents from South Africa spend their work breaks eating or drinking, while 51% chat with friends and colleagues. However, stretching and physical exercise is a more effective way to relieve stress and recharge focus - a habit adopted by only 6% of employees.
“It is important to recognise that digital fatigue is a real and growing stress factor: the constant stream of notifications, cluttered screens, and information overload gradually erode focus and make employees far more susceptible to mistakes and social engineering attacks. Simplifying your digital environment is not just a productivity tip, it is a cybersecurity measure”, says Brandon Muller, senior security consultant for the META region at Kaspersky.
Kaspersky experts recommend the following daily habits for stronger cyber hygiene:
- Declutter your desktop. Remove unnecessary icons and files, or organise them into logical folders.
- Tame your browser tabs. Bookmark the pages you need, close the rest, and clear your browsing history regularly.
- Uninstall unused applications.
- Manage notifications. Keep only essential alerts turned on, especially during periods of focused work on critical projects.
- Take regular breaks — and make them active. Stepping away from the screen to stretch or move helps reset attention and reduces the risk of fatigue-driven mistakes that attackers often exploit.
Kaspersky recommends that organisations reinforce employee cyber resilience by:
- Organising continuous cybersecurity training. The Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform can help with this - it includes various courses covering topics from e-mail and phishing to the safe use of AI tools.
- Establishing clear internal guidelines on key cybersecurity issues, from password policies and software installation rules to the acceptable use of AI technologies.
- Implementing comprehensive cybersecurity solutions such as from the Kaspersky Next product line that provide real-time protection, threat visibility, investigation and response capabilities of EDR and XDR.
- Fostering a culture of security: encourage employees to report suspicious activity, and reward proactive security behaviours to reinforce good IT habits.
*The survey was conducted by Toluna research agency at the request of Kaspersky in 2025. The study sample included 2800 online interviews with employees and business owners using computers for work in seven countries: Türkiye, South Africa, Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
