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Senior managers in UK and US companies are routinely exposing their organization to cyber-threats with more risky device and password management practices than their junior colleagues, according to OneLogin.
The identity and access management (IAM) provider polled 2000 remote workers in both countries this month, to compile its State of Remote Work Survey 2.0.
It found that senior managers were twice as likely to share a work device with someone outside the organization: 42% admitted doing so versus 20% of their junior counterparts.
They were also more than twice as likely to share passwords: 19% confessed to giving their credentials to a family member compared to only 7% of junior employees.
Finally, nearly a third (30%) of senior staff admitted working from public Wi-Fi, versus just 15% of junior workers.
The report also revealed that remote workers in the US appear to be less security-focused than their counterparts across the Atlantic. In total, 7% more American than UK respondents shared work devices, 9% more worked on public Wi-Fi and 8% more downloaded personal applications.
Brad Brooks, CEO of OneLogin, argued that distributed working has made it important for employees to take greater responsibility for their security posture.
“The effects of the pandemic mean that virtually all organizations are now operating, to some degree, outside of the controlled and protected office environment. That is, without the corporate-grade firewalls and on-site IT people we all once relied on for protection,” he added.
“Understanding the sanctity of their corporate passwords and devices, and the potential dangers of working on an unsecure Wi-Fi network should be top priorities for all remote workers. More importantly, it is up to senior management to lead by example. Unfortunately, these results appear to indicate otherwise.”
The report also revealed that male respondents were more likely to engage in risky behavior than their female colleagues.
The identity and access management (IAM) provider polled 2000 remote workers in both countries this month, to compile its State of Remote Work Survey 2.0.
It found that senior managers were twice as likely to share a work device with someone outside the organization: 42% admitted doing so versus 20% of their junior counterparts.
They were also more than twice as likely to share passwords: 19% confessed to giving their credentials to a family member compared to only 7% of junior employees.
Finally, nearly a third (30%) of senior staff admitted working from public Wi-Fi, versus just 15% of junior workers.
The report also revealed that remote workers in the US appear to be less security-focused than their counterparts across the Atlantic. In total, 7% more American than UK respondents shared work devices, 9% more worked on public Wi-Fi and 8% more downloaded personal applications.
Brad Brooks, CEO of OneLogin, argued that distributed working has made it important for employees to take greater responsibility for their security posture.
“The effects of the pandemic mean that virtually all organizations are now operating, to some degree, outside of the controlled and protected office environment. That is, without the corporate-grade firewalls and on-site IT people we all once relied on for protection,” he added.
“Understanding the sanctity of their corporate passwords and devices, and the potential dangers of working on an unsecure Wi-Fi network should be top priorities for all remote workers. More importantly, it is up to senior management to lead by example. Unfortunately, these results appear to indicate otherwise.”
The report also revealed that male respondents were more likely to engage in risky behavior than their female colleagues.