A survey of 2,000 workers has found that 70% use their work laptop for personal activities, including online shopping, booking holidays, and even searching for new jobs. The research, commissioned by Samsung alongside the launch of the Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition, reveals that 35% engage in non-work activities on their work device at least once a week, and 21% have shared it with other household members.
Concerns Over Privacy and Security
While 26% of employees worry about their employer discovering their personal use, 54% believe their boss is largely unaware of how they use the company computer outside work hours. The survey indicates that 63% store confidential company documents on their work laptops, while 18% keep personal photographs. A third use the device to access personal emails, 25% use autofill for personal accounts, and 26% remain permanently logged into personal accounts.
Annika Bizon, a spokesperson for Samsung, commented: “For many people, a laptop has become the gateway to both their professional and personal lives. It provides access to company systems, sensitive documents, financial information and personal accounts, all through a single device. As laptops continue to play an important role in how we work and live, security has never been more important.”
Blurred Lines in Hybrid Working
Despite 84% claiming awareness of the dangers of using a company-owned device for personal use, 37% are more concerned about breaching company policy than about work (36%) or personal (32%) information being at risk. Two-thirds use their work laptop to access sensitive client information, and 69% said losing it would be more disruptive than losing their work phone. Nearly a fifth (18%) said they always need to access both work and personal information in one place, and 27% noted that hybrid working has blurred the lines between the two.
Just over one in 10 (11%) argued that their need to use the work laptop for personal activities outweighs security concerns. The survey also found that 84% said their work laptop contains more work-related information than any other device they own. Additionally, 14% admitted they do not know what personal information is stored on their work laptop, and 71% are unaware if their work laptop is encrypted.
Bizon added: “Our new product brings together our strongest security offering to date, helping businesses better protect sensitive information whilst supporting flexible ways of working.”
