Telecommuters Less Security Conscious

If you work from home at least one day a week, you’re part of a growing trend that’s expected to top 46 million by 2011. But, Vnunet reports, a new study from Cisco has shown that people working remotely are paying less attention to online security.   For its yearly study on security awareness and online behavior, Cisco surveyed 2000 people in 10 countries who work remotely. They concluded that although these workers tend to feel more vulnerable working away from the office, their ideas about online security seem to be shifting, a view backed by many IT managers.   Much of that shift is attributed to the fact that most attacks these days are sly and covert, rather than overt and open as in the past.   According to the survey, those working from home are more likely to open mails and attachments from people they don’t know, access work files without due caution, use the wireless connections of neighbors and also use their work computers for personal pleasure.   John Stewart, Cisco’s chief security officer, commented,   “While working at home, people tend to let their guard down more than they do at the office, so adhering to security policies does not always seem applicable or as necessary. The blurring of the lines between work and home, and between business lives and personal lives, presents a growing challenge for businesses seeking to capitalize on the productivity benefits of the remote workforce."