UK companies lagging behind on cybersecurity…

A survey by global travel risk management company World Travel Protection revealed that more than half of UK business travelers (52%) are worried about falling victim to a cyberattack.

For frequent travelers (traveling monthly), this number rises to 62%. Globally, these concerns are even more serious, with 60% of business travelers and 70% of frequent flyers expressing concerns about cyber threats.

The Opinium survey of 2,000 business travelers across the UK, US, Canada and Australia revealed that UK organizations are lagging behind their international peers in addressing cybersecurity risks.

A quarter of UK business travelers (25%) say their organization does not require them to take any cybersecurity measures when traveling, compared with higher rates in the US (10%), Canada (9%) and Australia (11%) Here it is.

The most common cyber security measures required by organizations include installing anti-virus software (UK 22% vs. 27% global), setting up two-factor authentication (UK 21% vs. 27% global), using a VPN on mobile devices (UK 20% (27% globally) 24% globally) and avoid using unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots (19% UK, 23% globally).

UK companies also lag behind international organizations on several other important preventive measures – fewer companies fail to back up data to prevent loss (15% UK vs 24% globally), strip devices of sensitive files (11% UK vs global) 14%), disable location sharing (12% UK, 17% globally), use a laptop screen protector (14% UK, 18% globally) or use biometric security features such as facial recognition or fingerprints (11% UK, 17% globally) %).

Additionally, the survey revealed that companies do not provide cybersecurity training to their traveling teams (17% in the UK and 20% globally).

The rise of hybrid work and “bleisure” travel further complicates cybersecurity risks.

Nearly a fifth (18%) of UK business travelers say they are allowed to “work from anywhere”, rising to almost a quarter (24%) globally.

Additionally, 16% of UK business travelers plan to combine a business trip with a holiday this year, which could increase the risk of sensitive company data being exposed to potential cyber threats.

Kate Fitzpatrick, regional security director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at World Travel Protection, said: “When stealing data is more profitable than picking pockets, organizations need to think beyond the physical security of their travel teams.

“Organizations have a responsibility to protect their people and company information from cyber threats, but too many UK businesses are falling behind in implementing basic security measures.”