A growing number of workers are intentionally deleting important company data before quitting their jobs, according to a new report from CrashPlan, a Minneapolis-based data backup and recovery company. The report, which surveyed more than 2,300 employees, found that one in 20 workers admitted to engaging in “rage deletion,” with Gen Z employees being twice as likely to do so.
The study also revealed that 15% of respondents are worried about politically motivated data deletions as the U.S. presidential election approaches. This concern is particularly high among millennials, with 17% fearing that political activism could lead to sabotage by departing employees.
Rage deletion — the intentional destruction of work-related data by disgruntled employees — appears to be a growing issue in several industries. Employees in the technology sector (21%) and those in programming and development roles (25%) reported the highest concern. Among those most likely to admit to rage deletion were designers, writers, and video producers, according to the report.
CrashPlan’s Chief Information Security Officer, Todd Thorsen, linked the phenomenon to employee disengagement and frustration. “The signs of employee disengagement and dissatisfaction show up in the way they use technology,” said Thorsen. “Obviously, it doesn’t usually escalate to sabotage, but our research clearly shows that disengaged employees are less careful with their data.”
The report highlights that workers who engage in rage deletion are more likely to feel job insecurity, work overtime, and seek new employment. They are also less likely to receive cybersecurity training or professional development support. Meanwhile, only 43% of companies provide tools to back up employee data, and less than 40% have clear policies mandating their use, leaving many organizations vulnerable to data loss.
As employers grapple with rising concerns about data security, Thorsen emphasized the importance of proactive measures. “Every company has a simple choice — with a few keystrokes their intellectual property or important records can vanish forever, or just as quickly they can restore the data a disgruntled employee intended to destroy.”
The findings come from CrashPlan’s forthcoming Work Trend Security Report, which aims to shed light on emerging security challenges in the workplace.
