A research poll conducted online by the Digital Citizens Alliance found that those who had piracy devices and apps in the home were three times more likely to report an issue with malware than those who didn’t have such a device in the home.
Fifty percent of those who work in jobs that can include sensitive or confidential information who said they had a piracy device in their home reported having an issue with malware in the last year. Only 17% who said they didn’t have a piracy device reported malware, according to the study.
“When tens of millions of Americans were forced to work from home, it created a golden opportunity for hackers to mine their computers for sensitive information,” said Tom Galvin, executive director of the DCA, in a prepared statement. “Many Americans don’t realize that they open a window to their home when they plug a piracy device into their network. And if they work in jobs that can affect the economy or national security, for example, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
View the DCA Infographic
Why it matters
The DCA observed that the lockdown has turned homes into remote workplaces, with employees of small businesses, corporations, governments, non-profits, the military, and others sharing networks. That development raises a significant potential threat if malware is able to move from a network to a computer containing sensitive information, such as supply chain logistics or confidential financial information.
DCA’s poll was conducted Feb. 3-4 among 3,634 U.S. residents 18-years-old and older
