Increased risk of cyber attack due to home working

More than half of firms believe their  exposure to attack  has increased due to  working from home  arrangements with one in 10 having been the victim of a cyber-attack in the last year.

These are among the findings of a survey of almost 1000 UK companies, from all sectors and sizes, carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which also showed that only one in five have cyber-security accreditations in place.

The huge increase in people working from home  during the pandemic is seen as one of the main reasons for the increase in vulnerability.

The shift to home working and use of cloud-based computer systems happened almost overnight and many businesses were caught out by a lack of cyber-security. Those businesses now have to consider that they are not just providing protection for office systems but for employees in their homes. In order to mitigate the risk, employers are encouraged to develop clear homeworking policies and ensure that all employees have access to information about appropriately using systems, along with information to reduce cyber threats for remote workers.

Managers should also highlight the processes that employees should follow if they experience any security risks whilst working. 121 HR Solutions can help draft homeworking policies and can be contacted at enquiries@121hrsolutions.co.uk