Remote workers are increasingly putting corporate data and systems at risk by failing to follow security best practices, according to new research from Mimecast. The email security vendor surveyed more than 1,000 employees around the world who use company- computersfor its latest report, “Company-issued computers: What are employees really doing with them?”
The survey results are discouraging, as they reflect employees’ refusal to follow recommended security practices. Specifically, 73% of respondents frequently use a company-provided device for personal matters, such as checking email (47%), conducting financial transactions (38%), and online (35%). The survey also showed that, although most (96%) respondents said they were aware of the consequences of clicking on malicious phishing links, about half (45%) open emails they consider suspicious.
This is despite the fact that 64% claimed to have received specific cybersecurity training to avoid potential risks while working remotely . Furthermore, half (45%) admitted that they did not report such emails to their company’s IT teams .
Michael Mandon, senior vice president of awareness training and threat intelligence at Mimecast, argued that corporate efforts to change behavior are failing.
The findings align with a Trend Micro report published earlier this year, which found that 39% of remote workers access corporate data from personal devices, and 36% of those devices lack even basic password protection . The report also noted that half (52%) of remote workers have IoT devices connected to their home network, which could expose them to additional security risks.
