Commuters risk data breaches through careless driving on public transport

The careless work habits of commuters using public transport pose a risk of massive data leaks, according to a new survey. Multinational cybersecurity and antivirus software company Kaspersky recently conducted a study that brought to light shocking habits of British commuters that could compromise workplace safety. Up to 2.2 million British users travel to work on public transport, and most of them have activities that could inadvertently fill their employees’ inboxes with malicious emails, exposing companies to the greatest data privacy risk from data leaks.

Citing the cybersecurity company’s report The Metro News reported that 66 percent of commuters admitted to writing work emails while waiting for public transport; however, 29 percent said they free-write very important documents, seemingly oblivious to what is happening around them. This poses the risk of confidential information falling into the wrong hands.

In addition, 35% said they had heard confidential business information over cell phone conversations on public transport, with 24% mentioning specifically identifiable company names and work locations. To a cyberthief’s ears, this may all sound like a popular platitude: “Idle chatter is expensive,” as commuters unknowingly pass on valuable information to people sitting near them – some of whom may be cyberthieves.

Kaspersky advises travelers to be vigilant and protect themselves by hiding the most sensitive visual information such as work IDs, ID cards, email signatures and work locations when traveling on public transport. As the risk of data breaches increases every day, awareness of privacy and security during daily travel becomes a priority for everyone.

David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky, explains: “Many of us inadvertently leave valuable personal traces on our daily commute for others to follow, including company names, contact details and other confidential information.”

“If you handle strategic information on your commute, the impact of a leak could be enormous – and potentially easily traceable to those in the know. Whether it’s a financial deal, a legal case or patient data, releasing such details could have significant consequences for both the company and the person responsible.”