25th February 2021 | Posted in Cyber Security
As reported by Infosecurity Magazine, one-fifth of remote workers in the UK re-use their work email and passwords to access consumer websites and apps, such as online shopping and even dating sites, increasing the risk of their corporate credentials being stolen. This is according to Ivanti’s Secure Consumer Cyber Report, which surveyed 1000 UK home workers about their cybersecurity behaviours.
The survey revealed that poor remote working behaviours and cyber security practices by employees working from home are prevalent, which is putting organisations at a greater risk of cyber-attacks. 39.93% of those surveyed said they were allowed to use personal devices, such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets to access company applications and networks. Despite this, nearly half (47.87%) admitted they have not set up two-factor authentication for smart devices in their homes.
The report also indicated that organisations have not sufficiently adapted their security procedures to a remote working model, nearly a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around one-third of UK, consumers claimed their organisation does not require them to use a secure access tool, such as a VPN, while roughly a quarter of remote workers surveyed said that their employer does not require them to update their password every six months or use a one-time password generator.
These forms of poor cyber security practices and shortfalls in business security are enabling cybercriminals to exploit individuals working from home. By reusing credentials and failing to implement correct policies and multi-factor authentication, businesses are increasing their risk of falling victim to credential stuffing attacks. Given the high number of data breaches that target consumer-based organisations, there is already a high volume of compromised credentials on the Dark Web. Improved cyber security practises, including dark web scanning and comprehensive IT support should be implemented to safeguard companies’ data, reputation, and finances.
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