You really need to stop using work laptops for personal use — here's why

New research has revealed an overwhelming majority (90%) of workers use their company-provided laptops for personal activities, potentially posing a serious cybersecurity risk.

The study by ESET highlighted a substantial portion of employees also engage in risky activities using their business hardware, including viewing adult content, gambling, accessing the dark web and streaming sports illegally.

ESET blames the shift to hybrid and remote work on the added strain for security teams, adding companies should consider adding more robust security measures to manage corporate devices remotely, while also educating employees.

Business laptops for personal use

The survey found that two-thirds (63%) of respondents accessed the so-called "dark web" on their work laptops weekly, with 17% doing so daily.

Males were mostly to blame for accessing the dark web, while younger workers aged 16-24 were more likely to connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi and use personal USB devices.

“We often hear 'employees are the weakest security link' and endpoint security may not be the first thought on people's minds, which can cause issues when switching between work and personal devices," Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, commented.

Moore acknowledged the work-life balance benefits of hybrid and remote working setups, but stressed that companies should implement better cybersecurity processes.

However, despite the clear dangers of personal use and the benefits of remote management software, one in three (36%) would consider their boss viewing their personal activity as a violation of privacy.

Moreover, around one in five (18%) do not have any cybersecurity software on their work devices, and a further 7% were unsure if their device was adequately protected.

With hybrid working here to stay and boundaries between work and personal lives increasingly blurred, it’s clearer that companies need to impose stricter rules in order to protect both sensitive company information and employees.

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