Remote Work Reveals Identity Security Gaps, Study Finds
When the pandemic hit, businesses had to flip the switch on remote work in record time. SailPoint Technologies Holdings, Inc. has just dropped a fresh international study that shows how that rapid shift left a lot of doors open—especially for cyber‑criminals.
What the Numbers Tell Us
- 48% of UK respondents reported being hit by targeted phishing in the first six months of working from home.
- Across EMEA and ANZ, 51% saw phishing attempts since the pandemic began, with one in ten facing a daily threat.
- Half of employees in EMEA, Australia and New Zealand mix personal devices with work tasks; in the U.S., that figure drops to a third.
- 1 in 4 people shared work passwords with friends, family or roommates.
Why This Matters
Hypercool office software and cloud services are great, but when employees use personal laptops or phones the lines between “work” and “home” blur. Without tight identity controls, a simple click on a phishing link can install key‑logging software that hands a hacker your credentials. Imagine a thief walking straight into your company’s safe.
Identity security isn’t just a nice‑to‑have—it’s the foundation of every tech‑based business. Companies that had strong identity protocols in place were ready to pick up the slack; those that didn’t had to scramble to patch holes that were widening all the time.
Key Takeaways from SailPoint’s Findings
- Employees working from home must be treated the same as office staff in terms of access controls.
- Phishing attacks often embed malicious links that, once clicked, give attackers real-time access.
- Unexpected password sharing leaves businesses vulnerable to “social‑engineering” attacks.
- Dynamic identity solutions that scale with new devices and cloud platforms are essential.
What the Experts Say
Juliette Rizkallah, CMO at SailPoint emphasizes that “you cannot do business today without technology, and you cannot use technology safely without a solid identity framework.” She warns that the “explosion of unsecured access” caused by rapid remote roll‑outs is a ticking time bomb waiting to be detonated by a savvy bad actor.
Bottom Line
In the chaotic blend of home, work, and school life, keeping employee identity secure has never been more critical. Every organization truly needs a flexible, scalable identity solution to guard every access point—no matter the device or location. Without it, the next great hack might just be a few clicks away.
