Why In-Office Work Is The Real Threat to Cybersecurity
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Imagine a home filled with sophisticated locks, CCTV cameras, and a state-of-the-art security system. Yet, the owner leaves the back door wide open. This is precisely what’s happening in the world of corporate cybersecurity. As organizations fret over the potential risks of remote work, new research suggests the real dangers lurk within the office itself. That finding from a groundbreaking study from the Farmer School of Business at Miami University is definitely a surprise to me and my clients who I help transition to hybrid and remote work, and it will inform some valuable conversations going forward.
The unexpected benefits of remote work on cybersecurity
The Farmer School of Business researchers discovered that remote workers exhibit a higher level of cybersecurity awareness and take more security-related precautions than their in-office counterparts (forthcoming in the July issue of Computers & Security). That’s right — working from home might actually make employees more vigilant when it comes to cybersecurity. In my emailed interview with the author Joseph K. Nwankpa, he told me “When we surveyed remote workers, we expected the results to reveal cybersecurity complacency, but surprisingly, the survey revealed remote cyber vigilance.”
This surprising outcome can be attributed to the so-called “Peltzman Effect” and the complacency framework, which the study draws upon to explore how remote working may trigger a moral hazard regarding employee cybersecurity awareness and security-based precaution-taking. Remote employees tend to feel a heightened sense of responsibility for their own cybersecurity, while office workers often become complacent, trusting their companies to handle cyber threats on their behalf.
Related: Employers: Hybrid Work is Not The Problem — Your Guidelines Are. Here’s Why and How to Fix Them.
Complacency: The Achilles’ heel of office workers
Imagine being on a cruise ship with an impeccable safety record. You might feel so secure that you skip the safety drill and neglect to learn the location of the lifeboats. This is the complacency effect in action. Office workers, surrounded by the perceived safety of their company’s cybersecurity measures, may be less likely to follow best practices and take necessary precautions.
The study cites prior research that reveals how employees working within the corporate office and boundaries trust their firms to develop, maintain and update security countermeasures to mitigate cybersecurity threats and risks. As a result, these employees are not apt or mindful of security threats and concerns, leading to constrained cybersecurity awareness.
On the other hand, remote workers, like sailors navigating stormy seas, understand that they must be constantly vigilant. This heightened awareness leads them to take more security-based precautions, ultimately keeping their company’s digital assets safer.
Indeed, the human element of security is enhanced through a switch to remote work. Thus, Nwankpa stated “Our study found that working from the office within corporate firewalls and security boundaries induced employees to exhibit risky cybersecurity behavior, such as diminished cybersecurity awareness and precaution-taking. However, switching to remote work made employees feel insecure, leading to heightened cybersecurity awareness and cybersecurity precautionary measures.”
The pivotal role of information security policy compliance
The study also found that information security policy compliance played a significant role in remote workers’ heightened cybersecurity awareness. This suggests that companies must prioritize and enforce their security policies to ensure that all employees, whether in the office or at home, are adequately prepared to handle cyber threats.
The research model used in the study examined the impact of remote working on security-based precaution-taking and the role of cybersecurity awareness in the relationship between remote working and security-based precaution-taking. The data collected from 203 remote workers across the U.S. provided strong support for the research model, indicating that remote working is positively associated with cybersecurity awareness and security-based precaution-taking.
Furthermore, the study reveals that as remote workers gain cybersecurity awareness, they are more likely to apply security-based precaution measures. This reinforces the idea that fostering cybersecurity awareness among remote workers can lead to better protection of organizational information assets against threats.
Related: Why Cybersecurity Needs to be Prioritised as Small Businesses Face the Cost-of-Living Crisis
Remote Work: A potential solution to cybersecurity woes
Contrary to popular belief, the findings of this study demonstrate that remote work can actually improve cybersecurity. Companies can leverage this knowledge to their advantage,…
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