A new survey from CyberArk found that work-from-home habits– including password re-use and letting family members use corporate devices – are putting critical business systems and sensitive data at risk.
The survey, which aimed to gauge the current state of security in today’s expanded remote work environment, found that:
- 77% of remote employees are using unmanaged, insecure “BYOD” devices to access corporate systems.
- 66% of employees have adopted communication and collaboration tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, which have recently reported security vulnerabilities.
Convenience Often Outweighs Security – Especially For Working Parents
The study found that the risks to corporate security become even higher when it comes to working parents. As this group had to quickly and simultaneously transform into full-time teachers, caregivers and playmates, it’s no surprise good cybersecurity practices aren’t always top of mind when it comes to working from home.
- 93% have reused passwords across applications and devices
- 29% admitted that they allow other members of their household to use their corporate devices for activities like schoolwork, gaming and shopping.
- 37% insecurely save passwords in browsers on their corporate devices
Are Current Work from Home Security Policies Enough?
While 94% of IT Teams are confident in their ability to secure the new remote workforce, 40% have not increased their security protocols despite the significant change in the way employees connect to corporate systems and the addition of new productivity applications.
