Preventing careless data breaches – who’s responsible?

In a rapidly changing, competitive, IT-driven environment, these executives have a growing cause to begin addressing security as a critical business issue on their agenda.

This concern is supported by the Information Commissioner’s Office (IC), which calls for CEOs to take security of peoples’ personal information more seriously and demands that privacy be given more priority in every UK boardroom.

One specific security issue that executives should be taking more seriously is laptop screen privacy and the omnipresent shoulder surfing threat.

Today 65 per cent of UK businesses do not offer a comprehensive security policy that combats the issues of shoulder surfing.

Key executives appear worryingly content to review confidential sales and personnel records on a laptop in a public place, leaving them at the mercy of complete strangers in the next seat or the row behind.

According to research commissioned by 3M, the diversified technology company, almost half of management professionals questioned (55 per cent) admitted to working on a laptop while on public transport and in shared work places at least once a week.

70 per cent of these workers also admitted to having personally experienced shoulder surfing. In comparison to the public sector employees who are not so aware of their surroundings (51 per cent).  

Surprisingly, this awareness of the potential risk has no correlation with the need for privacy as only 18 per cent of management professionals feel they need keep official documents private.

However, they are making themselves understood that ‘shoulder surfing in not acceptable. 70 per cent of management executives claimed it caused some degree of discomfort and impeded work.