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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Some business leaders think Gen Z employees might share confidential information online for attention—but a survey of leaders’ beliefs does not show that Gen Z actually leaks secrets more often than other generations. In a September 2025 PasswordManager.com poll, 47% of surveyed U.S. business leaders said they thought Gen Z workers would intentionally share confidential details on social media for content or engagement. The findings are best read as a warning about employer perceptions and workplace information-handling practices, not proof of a generational tendency.
What business leaders said about Gen Z and confidential information
PasswordManager.com commissioned Pollfish to survey 1,000 U.S. business leaders online on September 3–4, 2025. To qualify, respondents had to be at least 25, employed full-time, have an associate’s degree or higher, report household income of at least $75,000, work at a company with 11 or more people, and hold a manager-level position. The survey asked leaders about their views and recollections; it was not an audit of workplace incidents or a survey of Gen Z employees. (PasswordManager.com, 2025)
| Finding | What respondents reported |
|---|---|
| Concern about security risk | 52% of surveyed leaders said they were very or somewhat concerned that Gen Z employees posed a security risk. |
| Belief about intentional sharing | 47% thought Gen Z workers would intentionally share confidential details on social media for content or engagement. |
| Reported leak | 18% said a Gen Z employee had leaked confidential information. |
| Comparison with other generations | 45% believed Gen Z employees were more likely than other generations to leak company information. |
| More confidentiality training | 58% said their company had increased confidentiality training. |
| Avoiding Gen Z hires | 30% said their company avoids hiring Gen Z employees because of security concerns. |
Every figure in the table describes respondents’ answers, not independently verified rates of employee behavior. In particular, the 18% figure is leaders’ report that a leak had occurred; the survey does not establish how many incidents were confirmed, how they were classified, or how often employees in other age groups were responsible. The 45% figure is a belief about relative likelihood, not a measured comparison.
What kinds of exposure leaders described
Respondents said they had seen videos showing screens or whiteboards, clips from confidential meetings, premature product demonstrations, and customer details used in skits. These are examples reported by survey participants, not independently verified incidents or a representative catalog of Gen Z conduct. A visible screen captured accidentally in the background is also different from deliberately posting confidential material.
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Reported consequences among leaders who said a leak occurred
Among leaders who reported a leak, 54% cited reputational damage, 52% cited lost clients or damaged client relationships, 47% cited legal issues, and 42% cited financial losses, according to PasswordManager.com’s 2025 survey. These are respondents’ reports of consequences, not audited outcomes; the denominator is respondents who said a leak had occurred. (PasswordManager.com, 2025)
Does the survey prove Gen Z is more likely to leak company secrets?
No. It measures what a selected group of business leaders believe and recall. It does not ask Gen Z employees whether they would disclose company information, independently verify incidents, or establish comparative leak rates by generation. The poll’s results therefore cannot support the conclusion that Gen Z employees are less trustworthy or more prone to leaking information than older colleagues.
The question still points to a real organizational concern: insider incidents can involve employees intentionally stealing or leaking private information. EY’s 2025 U.S. executive survey included 800 C-suite decision-makers, including 300 CISOs. In that survey, 47% of CISOs and 31% of other C-suite respondents said their organization had experienced an inside-threat incident in the prior three years. EY describes those threats as employees intentionally stealing or leaking private information; its findings are not specific to Gen Z or a comparison between generations. (EY, 2025)
Why clear rules matter more than a generational label
Employees may not recognize that an everyday photo, video, or joke reveals information the company considers sensitive. Information-systems and cybersecurity expert Gunnar Kallstrom told PasswordManager.com that “younger employees don’t always fully understand what counts as sensitive information, because companies often fail to clearly define and contextualize it.” He argues that broad compliance language can feel abstract and recommends concrete examples such as badges, screen photos, and travel details. This is expert commentary, not a measured explanation of the survey results. (PasswordManager.com, 2025)
EY’s workforce cybersecurity analysis offers related context, but not evidence of intentional leaks: 31% of Gen Z respondents said they felt very confident identifying phishing, while 39% did not fully understand how to report a suspected cyberattack. EY recommends simple, transparent procedures, accessible reporting channels, clear communication, and training. Confusion about reporting is distinct from deliberate disclosure for attention. (EY)
What employers can do to reduce accidental and deliberate exposure
Define confidential information with concrete examples
Explain what should not appear in public posts, livestreams, photos, or videos. Examples can include visible screens, badges, whiteboards, customer data, meeting materials, product demos, and travel details. Clarify that information can be sensitive even when it appears in the background or is shared as a joke.
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Make reporting a suspected exposure easy
Give employees an obvious, straightforward way to report a possible disclosure, including an accidental one. EY’s findings suggest that some workers are unsure how to report a suspected cyberattack; clear instructions and an approachable channel can make it easier to raise a concern promptly. (EY)
Use training as an ongoing practice
Training should connect policy language to realistic workplace and social-media situations, and give employees a chance to ask questions. The PasswordManager.com survey says 58% of surveyed companies had increased confidentiality training, but it does not show that a particular training program prevents leaks. Training is a practical organizational measure, not a proven guarantee.
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Do not treat age as a security control
The survey does not validate avoiding Gen Z hires as a way to reduce security incidents. A stronger response is to apply clear rules, training, access controls, and reporting procedures consistently across the workforce rather than treating an age group as inherently risky.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means for employees
- Before posting workplace content, check whether a screen, badge, whiteboard, customer detail, meeting, or unreleased product is visible or audible.
- If you are unsure whether something is confidential, ask through your employer’s designated channel before sharing it.
- If sensitive information appears in a post or video by mistake, report it promptly using the company’s established process rather than assuming the exposure is harmless.
Deloitte’s 2025 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey provides broad workforce context: it included 23,482 respondents across 44 countries, with fieldwork from October 25 to December 24, 2024, and addressed topics such as learning and development, well-being, financial security, and purpose at work. It was not a study of information leaks, so it does not establish whether Gen Z employees are more or less likely to disclose company information. (Deloitte, 2025)
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