According to new research from gadget security firm Protect Your Bubble, one in five (20%) UK employees have downloaded sensitive or confidential company data onto their personal devices while working remotely as a result of the COVID-19. Furthermore, 40% of respondents admitted that there was neither password protection nor up-to-date security installed on these devices, which include desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The survey, which surveyed 2,000 UK industry employees, looked at employees’ experiences of working remotely.
Other surveys conducted this year have also highlighted that most employees adopt frivolous and incorrect behaviors while working remotely, thus paving the way for cyberattacks against their companies.
The survey also revealed that younger employees are more likely to adopt poor cybersecurity practices , as nearly 30% of respondents under the age of 24 reported using personal devices for work purposes in the past six months. Furthermore, half of them said they did not have password protection or security software installed on those devices .
On the other hand, older employees have been found to have a more disciplined approach regarding cybersecurity, as 8% of employees aged 45-54 and also those over 55 handle corporate data on their personal devices while working from home.
The sectors with the worst records of remote staff handling sensitive or confidential company data on personal devices during the lockdown were HR (22%), IT, telecommunications (21.4%) and financial services (21.4%).
A particularly worrying finding of the survey was that the healthcare industry also saw a high percentage of employees (20%) handling corporate data on devices without either protection or security software installed. This is despite the fact that the industry is increasingly at the center of cyberattacks.
James Brown, director of Protect Your Bubble, commented on the research, noting the following: “It is clear from the results of the survey that many UK businesses need to address their cybersecurity weaknesses and adapt their protocols, given that more and more employees are working from home.” Brown also stressed that along with more in-depth staff training and the issuance of company-owned devices, insurance is also key to ensuring that employees can remain productive and safe while working remotely, even in the event of loss, theft or accident.
