Results from a global study released by Cisco revealed this week that even though most remote workers are aware of security issues they still put their employers in harms way with risky behavior.
Commissioned by Cisco and conducted by a third-party, the survey analyzed the activities of more than 1,000 teleworkers in 10 countries. It found that even though two of every three teleworkers surveyed said they are aware of security concerns, many still engage in dangerous behaviors that include sharing work computers with non-employees, opening unknown emails and hijacking neighbors' wireless networks.
The survey found that more than one of every five workers surveyed allows friends, family members or other non-employees use their work computer on the internet. In the U.S., 12 percent of teleworkers admitted to accessing a neighbor's wireless network when working from home. Additionally, one in every four workers said that they open unknown emails from work devices.
"Hijacking wireless networks or sharing corporate devices with non-employees is a significant risk for the global IT community," said Jeff Platon, Cisco's vice president of security solutions marketing. "The unsafe behavior of 11 remote workers in a company of 100 can bring down a network or compromise corporate information and personal identities. It only takes one security breach."
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