According to a new study, 40% of all corporate breaches committed via email involved websites used for personal purposes.
Employees who use their corporate emails for personal purposes put the companies they work for at risk.
Researchers at NordVPNanalyzed global online activity and examined over 1.7 million email breaches affecting the world’s largest businesses across a variety of sectors. The research revealed that people tend to use their corporate emails to create accounts, regardless of whether they are for business or personal purposes.
Many employees in both the US and Europeuse their corporate emails on entertainment and social media sites. In fact, nearly 40% of all breaches occurred on sites used for personal purposes.
The data also revealed that the technology sector was the hardest hit, accounting for nearly 20% of all corporate email breaches. The education and healthcare came in second and third place respectively, accounting for 13.3% and 12.9%.
Credential theft has increased in recent years. It is a growing industry in the cybercrime ecosystem.
The theft of a single password could compromise an entire database that is not properly protected. Experts warn that employees are making companies more vulnerable to cyberattacks, both email attacks and password theft.
When it comes to business security, credentials are what make companies most vulnerable.
Despite increased awareness of the security, many users still reuse passwords and rarely change them.
“Employee safety training is vital and companies should invest in regular employee safety training, explaining potential risk scenarios.”
