UK adults are risking exposure to cyber threats by accessing work emails outside of secure workplaces, according to new poll commissioned by a secure communications product firm.
A survey of 2,100 UK adults suggested that some 45 per cent of Britons have accessed work emails while on holiday, commuting or in a public place such as cafes. The study points to poor awareness of email security risks, as many people may expose themselves to cybercrime by using open or unsecure public WiFi.
According to the poll for Zivver, younger generations are less likely to ‘switch off’ with some two-thirds, 67pc of 18–24-year-olds and 68pc of 25–34-year-olds say they’re checking their emails outside the workplace, compared with 47pc of 45 to 54 -year-olds. A gender divide is also apparent as 47pc of men say that they’re checking emails while on holiday compared to 42pc of women.
The same study also found that only 28pc of respondents said they were very confident in spotting a phishing email. Phishing attacks remain the most prevalent and disruptive type of breach or attack against businesses and the top security threat to smartphone users, it’s suggested. Confidence in identifying phishing attempts seems to decline with age with 44pc of 18–24-year-olds say they feel very confident, while only 13pc respondents aged 65 and above agree. The firm says that phishing can expose a business to more severe cyberattacks such as ransomware which can cripple critical systems, halt business operations and result in financial losses.
Rick Goud, CIO of Zivver, said: “As workplaces continue to embrace flexible ways of working, they are becoming increasingly exposed to security risks. Our research shows that while access to work emails outside the office is common, the ability to spot phishing emails remains low. We must raise awareness and invest in employees to implement secure communication technologies to prevent data breaches.”
