What is visual hacking and how can it affect you or your business?
What is visual hacking? Also known as shoulder surfing. It is the ability for someone to view confidential data on somebody else’s screen, whether it’s a desktop monitor, laptop, tablet or smartphone and then using that data for malicious or illegal intent.
Within the last few years the level of concern around this area of security risk has risen in a diverse range of organisations, which are now incorporating visual privacy into their security strategies.
How real is this risk? Recent studies show that 90% of visual hacking attempts were successful, with up to four pieces of confidential data visually hacked per trial. It can take a hacker less than 15 minutes to complete their first visual hack 45% of the time.
The risk is increasing due to an ongoing shift towards open work spaces, where walls and cubicles are no longer used. In the same study, open work spaces resulted in nearly 50% more data types being visually hacked versus a standard office layout.
Visual hacking can also impact employee productivity, now that almost 60% of employees take their work outside of office walls. A similar study also found that employees using a visual privacy solution are twice as likely to be more productive when working in close proximity to other people.
Who can be a victim of visual hacking? We all can be a victim of visual hacking. According to researchers, visual hacking is a common problem that happens in all industry sectors, at all levels of an organization. It doesn't matter if you're an intern or a CEO if you access or handle sensitive data, you're vulnerable to visual hacking.
How can you prevent visual hacking? In the UK, there has been a large increase in the number of companies, including several large financial institutions that have made it mandatory to use privacy filters on computer and laptop screens. Several Government offices have specifically called out visual privacy as part of an overall security strategy, encouraging greater awareness and better processes among all staff.
EPHY Privacy Filters provide users with visual data protection across a large range of PC screens, Laptops, Tablets and Mobile devices.
EPHY privacy filters offer a double-sided solution. One side offers privacy the other anti-glare. The 60-degree privacy function blocks all shoulder surfers and prying eyes from capturing your data. Visit www.ephyprivacy.com for more information on EPHY Privacy solutions.
