Gen Z’s multi-job hustle elevates cybersecurity risks

THE Gen Z trend of “polyworking” — juggling multiple jobs at once — is creating new cybersecurity challenges, as each additional role increases the risk of attacks on both individuals and corporate networks.

- EVGENY KUSKOV

'Polyworking' norm

For Gen Z, working one job is no longer the norm, it's an exception. While the concept of juggling multiple jobs isn't entirely new, this generation (born between 1997 and 2012) is accelerating the trend of polyworking. The term refers to juggling multiple income streams simultaneously combining freelance gigs, side hustles, passion projects and part-time or full-time employment. According to public research, almost half (48%) of Gen Z members already have a side job, which is the highest rate among all generations.

But while polyworking brings autonomy, flexibility and financial resilience, it also opens the door to new cybersecurity risks many of which Gen Z may be unaware. From 2024 to 2025, Kaspersky detected more than six million attacks disguised as work tools, along with scams posing as job offers on Indeed, Glassdoor and similar recruitment platforms.

Multiple tools risk

Managing multiple job roles also means navigating an ever-expanding digital environment. Each additional role brings with it new inboxes, project management tools, communication platforms and external contacts. For polyworking Gen Z users, this can result in dozens of apps and accounts operating simultaneously from Microsoft Teams and Outlook to Slack, Zoom and Notion.

And with too many tools comes the very real risk of too little control. In one of the many scams uncovered by Kaspersky researchers, users were tricked into downloading a supposed Zoom update from a phishing page, which in reality was malware in disguise.

Job platform risks