Survey Finds Employees Trust Familiar Senders Too Readily
A WatchGuard Technologies survey of more than 500 employees across eight countries finds many rely on familiarity rather than verification.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Cybersecurity
Live Poll
Do you trust digital messages from people you know, even when unverified?
WatchGuard Technologies released its Cyber Trust Index survey, which found 55% of employees do not always independently verify senders before acting on sensitive requests. The survey covered more than 500 full-time employees across eight countries.
Why it matters
Familiar-looking messages are a common route for attackers, and the survey suggests that trust based on a known name, face, or voice can be exploited. For organizations worldwide, the findings point to verification habits as a gap that training alone may not close.
The figures come from a WatchGuard Technologies employee survey covering more than 500 full-time workers in eight countries. Australia had the highest verification rate at 69%, while 22% of German respondents check the sender, and the extraction does not say whether these self-reports match actual behavior.
The players
WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard Technologies is a cybersecurity company that commissioned and published the Cyber Trust Index survey.
The details
The survey, titled 'The Cyber Trust Gap: When Familiarity Is Not Enough in the AI Era,' asked employees about signals such as known senders, familiar details, branding, and independent verification. Respondents said 42% would likely trust an urgent text from their CEO or boss requesting payment or sensitive data without verification, and 53% rely on a person's face, voice, or display name to verify an unusual video request.
Timeline
November 10, 2026: WatchGuard announced the Cyber Trust Index survey results.
Big Picture
This edition of WatchGuard's Cyber Trust Index extends the index's focus on trust in digital communications by measuring how often employees independently verify senders. The results frame familiarity as a weak substitute for verification in an era when AI can imitate known voices and faces.
Employees who receive urgent requests for payment or sensitive data should confirm the sender through a separate, known channel before acting, even when the message looks familiar. The survey suggests that a recognizable name, face, or voice is not by itself a reliable check.
The takeaway
Familiarity is a trust signal that attackers can imitate, so confirming a sender through an independent channel is a simple habit that the survey suggests many employees skip. Organizations may find that verification practices need to be built into workflows, not just taught in training.
Further reading
For more on how attackers exploit trust in messages, see Cybersecurity coverage on the site.
Live Poll
Do you trust digital messages from people you know, even when unverified?
