Employees Working Remotely on Holidays Expose Orgs to Security Risks
Many workers will feel the need to check-up on work emails while they are away from the office and enjoying a well-earned vacation. Unfortunately, by doing that, they can open organizations to many security risks.
T-Systems, the corporate IT and cyber-security arm of Deutsche Telekom, has asked 2,050 full-time workers UK about their cyber security practices while on holiday, and found that:
- Nearly a third of employees (31%) use free Wi-Fi hotspots, and nearly a quarter (24%) use them for work-related emails and documents.
- 28% of employees email work documents to and from their personal email, despite this creating numerous security problems
- 10% use free USB charging points at airports and stations. These ports can be used to transfer viruses and malware to unsuspecting users.
The blame, however, cannot solely be placed on the employees, as 28% of employees have never in their working career had any cyber security training to protect themselves and their employer, and 66% of respondents had received no up-to-date education within the past twelve months.
“Where it is unavoidable, businesses should ensure there is training, and clear guidelines to be followed. This training is particularly important, as our research shows many employees are not knowledgeable on the multitude of ways their devices can be infected with viruses and malware… and those who thought they were ‘very knowledgeable’ frequently gave the wrong answer when questioned! We’ve already begun to see the financial impact these malware attacks have had on multinationals in 2017, including Reckitt Benckiser and Mondelez (the maker of Cadbury chocolate). Reckitt disclosed to the Financial Times this month that it expected sales would be hit by an estimated £110m this year as a direct result.” says Scott Cairns, the UK head of cyber security at T-Systems
Cyber security training for all employees is particularly important as the dangers continue when employees come home from holiday.
Source | HelpNet Security
