April 4, 2023
According to a new SlashNext report, the rising practice of using personal devices for business reasons poses a significant danger to enterprise security.
Allowing workers to use their own devices for work may increase productivity and save the firm money, but it may also result in a lack of separation between personal and work-related duties, which can lead to security concerns. The survey had 300 participants, who were security professionals and workers from firms with more than 1,000 employees across North America.
The survey revealed that the use of personal devices for work is increasing owing to the convenience and familiarity they give. The usage of personal computers or mobile devices has become vital as more individuals embrace remote work or a hybrid work approach. The top three work-related actions performed on personal devices, according to the SlashNext survey, include using personal texting apps for work (66%), using personal and private messaging apps for work (59%), and occasionally using business email for personal purposes (57%).
Yet, the survey found that utilizing personal devices for work poses security risks. For example, 71% of study respondents stated they keep crucial business passwords on their personal phone, putting them at risk of compromise. Moreover, 43% of employees have been targeted by work-related phishing attempts. This danger is heightened by the usage of personal chat applications for work, which is cited as an increasing worry by 95% of security experts questioned.
While security training is often touted as a way to prevent attacks, 98% of security professionals surveyed said that employees are still vulnerable to phishing attacks and other threats even with regular training.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechRepublic.
