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With more freedom given to employees for accessing daily deal and social networking sites (SNS), such as Groupon, Facebook and Google+, or even for shopping online with a work-supplied device, more business and IT professionals in China and Hong Kong expect that employees will do more holiday online shopping during working hours this year than those in Asia and in the States, according to the “2011 ISACA Shopping on the Job Survey: Online Holiday Shopping and BYOD Security.”

The global survey, conducted among more than 4,700 business and IT professionals who are members of IT association ISACA, shows the current attitudes and organisational behaviors related to the risk and rewards associated with online shopping and the use of personal and work devices in different regions.

More than 50% of respondents in China and Hong Kong predict that employees will do more online shopping during work hours this year—19% more than their counterparts in the United States and 12% more than respondents in all Asian countries.

More than 50% of respondents in China and Hong Kong think employees at their enterprises will spend more than six hours shopping online using a work-issued computer during the holiday season (November and December) and another six hours or more using a personal computer or smartphone during work hours.

In China and Hong Kong, 34% of respondents state that their enterprises allow employees to shop online, and an additional 26% allow it with some restrictions.

Nearly 40% allow them to access SNS or daily deal sites using a work-supplied device, with another 23% allowing it with restrictions. Respondents in the US say their enterprises are more likely to prohibit or limit access to SNS and daily sites, as well as limit the use of work-supplied mobile devices for personal use.

The survey shows that companies in Hong Kong and China tend to have more flexibility regarding the use of work-supplied devices for personal purposes, such as online shopping and social networking, compared to other parts of Asia and the United States.

"It is positive that organisations here are taking an ‘embrace and educate’ perspective, which allows them to get the benefits of using the technology available, while equipping employees with the training and awareness needed to minimise security incidents,” said Michael Yung, president of the ISACA China Hong Kong Chapter.

To make sure that access to SNS and daily deal sites, as well as online shopping, are done safely with work-supplied devices, employees should be very careful with the company information on their devices, password-protect the devices, and ensure that the security tools and processes protecting the work-supplied devices are kept up to date.

“From the IT department side, promoting awareness of the security policy is always key for effective risk management," notes Yung.

Yung underscores the importance of using secure browsing technology, encrypting data on devices, and taking advantage of some of the industry best practices and governance frameworks like the Business Model for Information Security (BMIS).

Additionally, 28 percent of both US respondents and those in China and Hong Kong say that their enterprise prohibits the use of personal mobile devices for work purposes—a trend known as “bring your own device” (BYOD).

Respondents in both areas say that the risk currently outweighs the benefits, but as employers increasingly allow BYOD, it is critical for IT professionals to put the proper controls to mitigate the risk.

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