Facilities Management Association

The proliferation of technology used at home and on the move has increased the opportunities for staff to download illegal software onto employers’ networks, leaving bosses liable to viruses, compatibility issues and potential prosecution.

NOP research, on behalf of the Business Software Alliance, of 500 business managers in the UK has found that 55% of respondents think mobile and remote working is making it increasingly tricky to see what their staff are uploading onto laptops and mobile devices.

The survey suggests that the IT management policies and processes that companies enforce within the office environment are not enforced for staff working remotely or on the move.

The survey also highlights a dangerous attitude in UK managers’ approach to software piracy. As well as the threat from viruses and potential network problems from uploading illegal software, staff are leaving their employers open to fines of thousands of pounds as the companies are liable for licence infringement.

"Mobile working, and its culture of anytime, anyplace, anywhere working, is undoubtedly a good thing for UK business – the flexibility it affords both staff and employer can generate excellent efficiencies as well as boosting productivity," commented Siobhan Carroll, regional manager of the Business Software Alliance. "But with this freedom there is also a practical consideration, where bosses need to keep a tight reign on exactly what their staff are putting onto their mobile devices. This research suggests that UK bosses have a dangerously lax attitude to the downloading of illegal software on company devices."

The BSA survey was conducted to understand attitudes to mobile working and how it impacts on companies’ software management strategies. It also revealed that:

39% of bosses believe mobile working is lessening their control over company software
48% believe that remote working makes security patching more of a problem
74% believe allowing remote working improves staff motivation.

An amazing 68% said they weren't concerned about the threat of unauthorised users accessing their networks or company laptops.

In order to ensure that employees are not infringing copyright law, the BSA has championed the use of software asset management processes and infrastructure. The SAM website includes a step-by-step approach to finding all of the necessary information to get started on setting policies and procedures.
Alternatively if you are just worried about software security holes and especially vulnerable are companies still running WINDOWS 95 or 98 ,amazingly half of all PC users are still on these aging systems which cannot cope with modern worms, try the online questionnaire at www.staysafeonline.info which also has a version for home users which also gives unexpected results.
Bosses may find that the suggestions made by these sites should be included in the firms staff policy document on web use.