It’s the holiday season and that means employees will be traveling quite a bit over the next month or so. With the rise of public WiFi and interconnectivity, many employees may work during their travels. It’s important to consider how this may be a security risk to your organization.

ObserveIT, a security firm, surveyed 1,000 US-based employees to see how their digital activities during holiday travels can affect cybersecurity. Reportedly, 55.3% of respondents to the survey said they would likely bring a work device with them and their travels. Not only does this make the device vulnerable to theft, but it can also be an easy target for hackers. In the survey, ObserveIT found that 77% of employees would also likely use public and unlocked WiFi while using a work computer or phone. This can pose a serious risk to the files on the device.

62% of those respondents who said they would use work devices on an unsecured network also said they would handle their work email, or remotely access files, through an open WiFi connection. This makes it a lot easier for hackers to be able to access company data as they can use the unsecured network as a middleman.

However, some of the respondents recognize the issue at hand. About 55% reported that they would use a secure VPN when using their device in an unsecured network. This is a great step in the right direction, but there were also 21% of respondents that admitted that their work devices would likely be left unattended while traveling. Even worse, 51.2% of the employees surveyed were unaware of their company’s cybersecurity guidelines for remotely working.

There are 3 main takeaways from this survey:

  • Employees value connectivity over security
  • CyberSecurity guidelines are unclear
  • Holiday travel exposes organizations to additional risks

So, what can an organization do to improve upon these issues? Well, you could ask your employees to leave the devices off and enjoy their holidays, but we all know that won’t work. Instead, instill a strong cyber-aware culture within your company and establish clear cybersecurity guidelines for working while traveling. Next, ensure your employees are equipped with secure VPNs because they will use unsecured WiFi points. Finally, keep an eye on your network and be ready to act upon any discrepancies.

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