Insurtech Magazine September 2023 | Page 87

CYBER INSURANCE

“ Research reveals that many of us are more inclined to engage in risky online behaviour when outside the office ”

JAMIE AKHTAR CEO AND CO-FOUNDER , CYBERSMART
or abandoned their physical offices entirely . Research from the UK and US suggests roughly three-quarters of employers in both countries have opted for , or are planning to opt for , some form of hybrid working model on a permanent basis .
This is good for employees – although research from careers portal Zippia appears to show that employers prefer hybrid working models more than their staff ( 51 % versus 44 %). However , it has also created an additional layer of complexity when it comes to cyber risk , with workers now dividing their time between home and the office .
“ The most obvious risk is unsecured networks ,” says Jamie Akhtar , CEO and Co-Founder of cybersecurity company CyberSmart . “ Many staff now access company data through home routers or , worse still , public networks such as coffee shops . There ’ s also a psychological component to this , with research revealing that many of us are more inclined to engage in risky online behaviour when outside the office .”
“ Hybrid working has been widely adopted and is not going away any time soon ,” adds Fabien Rech , who is SVP & GM EMEA at Trellix . “ As a result , businesses have become more vigilant to the threats of this model
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