- 68% of European homeworkers don't prioritise security in top
three purchase factors
- 75% of all European businesses take no steps to secure home
internet connection or provide software protection for home
devices, and over a quarter offer no protection at all, creating
gaps for attackers
- With sales of smart domestic devices booming, unsecured home
workers create lucrative entry points for exploitation by
cybercriminals
WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 7,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry
Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today published new European
research exposing the cybersecurity risk created by cost-conscious
homeworkers who prioritise security behind price, usability and
ease of set up in their purchase of domestic smart devices. Less
than a third (32%) of European home workers who own a smart
devicei surveyed said security was a top three
factor when choosing a smart device, compared to 50% who
prioritised price (figure 1). Over a quarter of businesses (28%)
aren't putting adequate security provisions in place to extend
cyber protection as far as homes (figure 2). This heightens the
risk of cyberattacks for businesses and their employees, as hybrid
and home working become the norm.
The survey of 4,000 home workers in the UK, France, Germany, and the
Netherlands revealed that over a quarter (28%) of people say
that their employer has not done or communicated anything about
protecting their home network or smart devices, or they don't know
if they are protected. Furthermore, 75% of Europeans say their
employers have taken no steps to secure home internet connection or
provide software protection for home devices. This failure to
extend network security to home devices increases risk of the
vulnerabilities created by hybrid and home working being
successfully exploited. Particularly sobering findings for small
and mid-sized businesses who face upwards of eleven cyberattacks
per device, per day, according to BlackBerry research.
"An increase in unsecured smart devices in Europe is equally ideal for cyber attackers,"
said Hans-Peter Bauer, Senior Vice
President EMEA, BlackBerry Cybersecurity. "When consumers drop
their guard to focus on price, and businesses don't extend their
security cover to compensate, cybercriminals will take advantage of
any unsecured access point that could lead to lucrative personal
and corporate data."
Through even the most innocent of devices, bad actors can access
home networks with connections to company devices – or company data
on consumer devices – and seize the opportunity to steal data and
intellectual property worth millions. It's likely businesses will
bear the brunt of cyberattacks caused by unsecured home devices,
with knock-on effects to employees themselves. With device security
far down the list for fraught buyers trying to cut costs, and
employer protection of smart home devices being afforded to few, a
huge opening is left for cybercriminals looking to take advantage
of the boom in smart devices in the home.
"A global hike in the cost of living, potential recession
looming, escalating conflict and rising cyber-insurance premiums
are creating perfect conditions for cyberattacks. Cybercrime
increased during both the financial crisis of 2008-9 and the
COVID-19 pandemic, and we expect to see a similar spike over the
coming months," continued Bauer. "These conditions compound the
challenge of implementing effective hybrid and home working
practices in homes that are getting smarter, but not necessarily
more cybersecure. So, it is crucial that organisations remember the
devices beyond their immediate reach when they are considering
their cybersecurity protection and preparing for challenging
economic times ahead."
For more information on how BlackBerry's comprehensive,
prevention-first, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions can help your
business prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats,
please visit BlackBerry.com/Cyber.
Notes to editor: Research conducted in
June 2022 by Opinion Matters on
behalf of BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB), into 4,000 Europeans (in
the UK, Germany, France, and the
Netherlands) who have worked from home in the last 12 months
and have a smart device in their home.
Price
|
49 %
|
Usability
|
39 %
|
Ease of
set-up
|
34 %
|
Device
security
|
32 %
|
Figure 1: Table showing the
proportion of respondents who chose each factor in their top three
considerations when purchasing a smart device for their
home
Mandated use of a
corporate Virtual Private Network (VPN)
|
33 %
|
Established a
cybersecurity policy with advice for smart devices/home
working
|
26 %
|
Secured your home
internet connection
|
25 %
|
Installed cybersecurity
protection software on home devices
|
25 %
|
My employer has not
done/communicated anything about protecting my home network or
smart devices
|
23 %
|
Don't know
|
5 %
|
Figure 2: Table showing the
proportion of respondents who said their employer has introduced
each measure to protect their home network or smart devices while
working from home
|
UK
|
France
|
The
Netherlands
|
Germany
|
Price
|
58 %
|
50 %
|
41 %
|
47 %
|
Usability
|
37 %
|
45 %
|
34 %
|
37 %
|
Ease of set
up
|
40 %
|
35 %
|
30 %
|
31 %
|
Device
security
|
31 %
|
37 %
|
30 %
|
30 %
|
Figure 3: Table showing the proportion of
respondents who included these factors among their top three most
important when purchasing a smart device, by country
About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB)
provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises
and governments around the world. The company secures more
than 500M endpoints including over
215M vehicles. Based in
Waterloo, Ontario, the company
leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions
in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions,
and is a leader in the areas of endpoint management, endpoint
security, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's
vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can
trust.
BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.
For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow
@BlackBerry.
Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and
EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are
expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for
any third-party products or services.
i Hereby referred to as 'home workers'
Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com
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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited