Flexible working has increased the opportunities for staff to
download illegal software onto their employers' networks, leaving
bosses liable to viruses, compatibility issues and penalties for
copyright infringement, according to the Business Software
Alliance.
According to research of 500 UK business managers, carried out
by NOP on behalf of the BSA, 55% of businesses agree that remote
working is making it increasingly tricky to see and manage what
employees are uploading onto laptops and mobile devices, but 67%
confess to not being concerned.
When questioned further about the blasé management of flexible
working, 39% of bosses said mobile working is lessening their
control over company software; and 48% believe that remote working
makes security patching more of a problem.
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.
Siobhan Carroll, Regional Manager of the Business Software
Alliance, said:
"Although companies are embracing remote
working they are not perhaps putting the controls in place that
would best discourage licence abuse. Businesses need to have
a preventative strategy and full controls in place before issues
arise over illegal software use. Hefty fines can have a very
detrimental effect on a company's bottom line.
