Expert warns of cybersecurity risks for employees accessing work systems while abroad

As millions of workers across the UK prepare to head off on their summer holidays, cybersecurity experts at FLR Spectron have highlighted the risks of staying connected to work while abroad.

The company warned that even something as routine as checking emails from an airport lounge could expose sensitive business data to cyber threats.

Last year’s research revealed that 42% of employees check their work emails while on leave, and 67% report feeling pressured to remain online during their time off.

While the intention is often to be helpful, these habits are increasingly being recognised as potential vulnerabilities.

Kamran Badhur, technical director at FLR Spectron, said: “Security breaches aren’t always caused by targeted attacks.

“They’re often down to someone trying to quickly check their inbox on public Wi-Fi, or forwarding a file to their personal account so they can access it more easily. These small shortcuts create real vulnerabilities.”

Among the common behaviours that could lead to cybersecurity breaches while on holiday are logging into work systems using public Wi-Fi, forwarding emails to personal inboxes, skipping multi-factor authentication (MFA), and using unapproved apps to store or send files.

Public Wi-Fi networks, often available in airport lounges and hotel lobbies, are frequently unencrypted and susceptible to spoofing by cybercriminals.