A recent study by telecommunications provider, TextAnywhere, looked into the screen habits of 1,000 employees in the UK and revealed that over two-thirds (67.4%) are using their mobiles for work, imposing a serious threat to business security.
Businesses need to ensure they work hard to educate their employees around safe practices when accessing platforms via mobile. Third-party applications and unsecured WIFI can be easy gateways for cybercriminals to access sensitive information via business emails or chat messages. According to Carbon Black reports, 88% of UK companies suffered security breaches last year.
Raphael Waller from Cardonet, an IT Service Provider, comments, “Most businesses and industries are now reliant on technology and because of this, the impacts of a cyber attack are more harmful than ever. Cybercrime has become a key focus for criminals because the financial gain is so high when holding organisations to ransom.”
“Regular cybersecurity training is vital in helping your team better understand how they can protect the organisation from threats and what they can do to be more alert. Keeping organisations safe is something that everyone has a role to play in, no longer just IT or Security.”
James Bosley, marketing manager at TextAnywhere adds, “Today almost everyone uses a smartphone in their day to day life, both for work and personal use. They help to keep us connected at all times, but arguably, more could be done by business leaders to ensure safe and secure practice.”
“The past 18 months have presented multiple challenges. As employees return to the office, it’s important that healthy business communication is established and all staff feel supported. Business should prioritise ensuring all employees are aware of the remote access policies, procedure and best practice the most effective way to do this is through the device they are using most, their phone.”
Working from home has increased the likelihood of cyber-attacks but has improved work-life balance for many and increased productivity in businesses that don’t rely on central office space. With effective employee communication and training, organisations can substantially reduce the risk of cyber-attacks while building a healthy and effective remote culture.
For a full look at the research, see here.
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