Black Friday at Work: When Office PCs Turn into Trickster Toys
Picture this: You’re sipping your office coffee, scrolling through the latest Black Friday deals, and then—boom!—a sneaky email pops up claiming you’ve won a free Fitbit. Welcome to the new normal. T-Systems has issued a friendly alarm bell for all the corporate e‑mail queues out there.
Why the “Desktop Shop” Trend is a Recipe for Disaster
Last year’s research by Beaming revealed a startling fact: over 40 % of employees shop from their desks on Black Friday. The big problem? Most of them don’t realize that a single malicious attachment can hijack an entire office network.
How the Black Friday Email Boom Spawns Malware Menace
- Massive influx of hoax emails pretending to be legitimate deals.
- Hidden malicious code or phishing scams lurking behind “buy now” links.
- Employees unknowingly treating office PCs like personal devices—easily infected!
Scott Cairns, Head of the UK Cyber Security Practice at T‑Systems, explains:
“Companies often forbid using office computers for personal shenanigans, but many employees ignore the rule because they’re not aware of the real danger of opening these emails.” – Scott Cairns
New T‑Systems Study: The Unseen Threat in Corporate Emails
The report analyzed over 2,000 UK employees across different organisations. Key findings:
- 35% of staff don’t realise that a single email can infect their desktop.
- Only 34% received any cyber security training in the past year.
- Nearly 30% have never been exposed to cyber security education.
What You Can Start Do Right Away
- Rate cyber threats on a seriousness scale and highlight potential breaches in plain language.
- Show real examples: Provide a cheery “don’t click list” with screenshots of rogue emails.
- Make cyber training a mandatory part of onboarding and a yearly refresher for everyone—including the CEO.
Bottom Line: Don’t Treat Your Office PC Like Your Phone
Black Friday is fun—just not if you’re hacking your way into your job’s database. Let’s keep the alerts out of your inbox and the briefs in your control room.
