Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, the number of people working from home has increased dramatically. This effort to prevent health hazards may have slowed the spread of the virus, but according to F-Secure, it may have also contributed to an increase in digital anxiety among remote workers. According to a recent survey, 67 percent of internet users who work from home, compared to 58 percent of other users, are increasingly concerned about their online security and privacy, even if nothing is wrong.
Dr. Lee Hadlington, a senior lecturer in cyberpsychology at Nottingham Trent University whose research interests include employees’ adherence to workplace cyber security practices, said it’s understandable that people’s anxiety about online threats has increased as a result of their sudden shift to telecommuting. It’s not unexpected that people are becoming more concerned about cyber security, especially if they work from home.
Many people were thrown into the ‘new normal’ of working from home with little planning, training, or equipment. Let’s not forget that cyber security is normally a last-minute consideration for most people in the office, and it’s something that’s viewed as someone else’s responsibility. This, combined with the fact that many home workers have less-than-ideal working environments, such as desks in congested areas of the house, limited/poor internet access, and limited knowledge of internet-based technology, suggests that cyber security concerns could be the result of a number of factors.
Remote workers’ top concerns
While all poll respondents were concerned about online security and privacy, remote employees expressed greater concern about a variety of topics, including:
- In comparison to 54 percent of other respondents, 65 percent of those who work from home believe the internet is getting more harmful.
- Concerns about data privacy have caused 63 percent of remote employees to change how they use the internet, compared to 48 percent of other respondents.
- In comparison to 64% of non-remote workers, 71 percent of remote workers are concerned that emerging internet-connected gadgets, such as wearables and connected household appliances, could compromise their privacy.
- In comparison to 63 percent of other respondents, 70% of remote employees felt increasingly uneasy connecting to public WiFi owing to security issues.
Working from home, according to Researcher, could have meant that people had more time to focus on other areas of their jobs and spent more time on self-reflection and self-improvement, which could have included a re-evaluation of cyber hazards in their daily lives. People were also isolated as a result of the pandemic, so many turned to the one thing they did have — the Internet. Of course, spending more time doing one thing might lead to heightened risk perceptions, especially when individuals are bombarded with unfavorable news articles about cyber security vulnerabilities.
Managing security while working remotely, according to F-Secure Security Consultant Tom Gaffney, entails not only technical security measures to secure data and devices but also actions to keep people’s personal and professional life distinct. Update your devices and software, make sure your personal gadgets have security software installed, and take some other basic infosec procedures, according to Gaffney. However, keeping your personal and business internet activity distinct could be just as vital as following any of these guidelines. Restriction of what you do on each device and when you do it can be an effective method to reduce digital anxiety.