Four Telecommuting Security Mistakes

According to figures released recently by the Nemertes Research Group, an Illinois-based research advisory firm, as many as 71 percent of U.S. companies offer full-time or part-time telecommuting to employees. Despite the large number of employees who work out of office, another recent study from The Center for Democracy and Technology found many continue to sideline the issue of telecommuting security in favor of more urgent needs.

[ For more on telecommuting risks see: Telecommuting Poses Privacy, Security Risks ]

Whether it is employees who travel frequently for their job or staff that work out of a home office full or part-time, their mobility poses serious security risks to your organization. CSO spoke with two security strategists about common mistakes employees often make while telecommuting, and asked for advice on how to put a damper on them.

Careless use of Wi-Fi and accessing unsecured networks
In research released late last year, Cisco polled more than 1,000 end users in 10 countries and found 12 percent of people who work out of the office regularly connect to a neighbor's wireless network when working at home. Another study from Accenture found one in seven Americans admit to "borrowing" Wi-Fi from an unsecured connection

"Today, this is very easy to do," said Ralph DeFrangesco, a computer science professor at Drexel University and consultant who helps companies assess and develop security programs. "You are sitting in a Starbucks or a Borders with your laptop and you need access to the Internet. You open your laptop and connect to the first unsecured network you find."

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