Privacy is such an essential factor when it comes to businesses, and in an age where we can work anywhere in the world at any time, it’s important to keep information protected. Cyber threats and attacks aren’t something to be taken lightly, and there are many ways cybercriminals can achieve their goals. Some of the most common ways that cybercriminals can access personal information are phishing, password attacks or malicious software. For more information, read our previous blog.

Businesses tend to focus on preventing hacking by using antiviruses, biometrics and strong passwords but something that is often overlooked is someone stealing a glance at your computer screen. Did you know that few people are aware of the dangers of visual hacking? Unfortunately, visual hacking is a widespread occurrence. Not only do you have to keep yourself aware of confidential information that is printed, but you should also be conscious of what is visible on your computer screen.

Luckily, while visual hacking isn’t completely avoidable, it is preventable. New products can help your confidential on-screen information only to be seen by the right pair of eyes. Visual hacking in its purest form is essentially ‘prying’ eyes, where cybercriminals attempt to steal your on-screen information without you noticing.

The Risks of Visual Hacking

The risks of visual hacking are a global threat. A global visual hacking experimental study was sponsored by 3M Company and aimed to find out how high the risk of visual hacking really is, and the findings were surprising. A visual hacker was successfully able to collect information around 91% of the time which is a terrifying statistic, and interestingly, office workers didn’t notice the behaviour of the hacker as suspicious while they walked around the office or picked up papers marked “confidential” and promptly put them in a bag.

Visual hacking happens fast, with an average time of a hacker processing information in the time of 15 minutes or less! During the study, it was noted that customer service, communications, and sales were the most vulnerable departments. It could be due to legal and finance departments being far more aware of the sensitive data they handle and have security measures in place to reflect that. It only takes one piece of information to get in view of the wrong eyes to leave a business exposed to a data or privacy breach; this can cost companies thousands of pounds in fines, legal expenses and also any potential trade.

Computer Privacy Screen

A computer privacy screen, also known as a privacy filter, is effectively a thin piece of plastic that is placed over your display which helps prevent any wandering eyes from spotting private or confidential information. It is one of the simplest ways of keeping your employees screen private as it’s easy to install, very cost-effective and doesn’t have to be uploaded or installed onto any computers.

Privacy screens are also an excellent addition for employees who work outside of the office. When employees take their laptop out of the office to work elsewhere, they are immediately in danger of a privacy breach. Outside the office is no longer confidential and prying public eyes can see sensitive information. Computer privacy screens can also increase employee productivity. In a study conducted, the findings revealed that employees who had a privacy screen were twice as productive when working in proximity with others, as opposed to the employees who didn’t have a privacy screen.

Provide Personal Booths

Providing personal booths for your employees will keep their screens away from wandering eyes. It is also an excellent idea to arrange areas that keep sectors of the business separate, such as keeping the marketing sector away from the finance sector. Not only that but in open-plan offices, visitors often come in and look around, which could jeopardise the security of company information. Furthermore, part-time contractors can come and go, which can also be a real risk.

Here at Viascreens, we have everything you need to keep your confidential information protected. Browse our privacy plus screen protectors, and other accessories on our website.