Work phones fuel illegal streaming cyber risk study

BeStreamWise has published research on the use of work phones for illegal streaming in the UK. It found that 68% of people who stream content illegally use a company smartphone for that activity.

The findings highlight a workplace cybersecurity issue linked to unofficial streaming sites and apps. Among illegal streamers aged 18 to 24, 71% said they had used a work smartphone to access sport, films or television from unofficial sources, compared with 62% of those aged 45 to 54.

More than half of illegal streamers using work smartphones, 56%, said their device had been infected with malware in the past 12 months. That compares with a national average of 18%, according to the research.

Some respondents also reported repeated problems. More than a quarter, 27%, said they had experienced malware infections multiple times during the past year.

Phishing was another risk highlighted in the study. One in five illegal streamers who use work devices, 20%, said they had received phishing attempts involving requests for passwords and account login data, compared with 8% of illegal streamers overall.

The survey also suggested that awareness of those risks remains low among some workers. Only 34% of respondents who use work devices for illegal streaming said they knew illegal streaming sites can infect devices with malware, compared with 42% of the public overall.

BeStreamWise is backed by government bodies and media and sports organisations including the Premier League, BBC, ITV, Sky and FACT. It describes itself as a cross-industry initiative focused on raising awareness of the risks linked to illegal streaming.

Business exposure

The figures add to a broader picture of cyber threats facing employers. Government data cited alongside the study shows phishing attacks are the most common type of cyber breach reported by UK businesses, affecting 38% of companies.

The same official figures put the average cost of a significant cyber attack at £195,000 for each affected business. That gives fresh relevance to employee behaviour on corporate devices, particularly when those devices are used to access unauthorised services outside normal company controls.

Illegal streaming has often been treated as a consumer issue linked to broadcasting rights and lost subscription revenue. The new data reframes it by focusing on the risks to company systems, internal networks and commercial information when workers use employer-issued phones to visit unofficial services.

Younger workers appeared more likely than older groups to use work devices in this way, though the practice was not limited to one age bracket. The gap between respondents aged 18 to 24 and those aged 45 to 54 was narrower than might be expected, suggesting the behaviour is spread across the workforce rather than confined to the youngest employees.

That pattern may complicate any response from employers. Companies that rely on staff policies alone may struggle if workers do not associate illegal streaming with cyber risk, especially when the activity takes place on smartphones that move in and out of corporate environments more easily than office-based desktop systems.

Expert warning

The research was accompanied by comment from independent cybersecurity expert James Bore.

"These findings will be a huge concern for business leaders looking to keep their networks and data safe. Illegal streaming sites and apps sit outside the security checks that legitimate platforms go through, so the risk of encountering malware is much higher. Installing unauthorised software on work devices carries the same risks as on personal devices, particularly if companies do not have up-to-date antivirus software installed. Malware can be an entry point into company networks where sensitive commercial and financial information is stored," said James Bore, Independent Cybersecurity Expert.

The research was based on a survey of 2,000 people in the UK. Its central finding is that a large share of people who already access pirated content are doing so on employer-provided smartphones, creating a route by which malware and phishing attacks can reach business systems.

For employers, the issue goes beyond viewing habits to basic cyber hygiene. The data suggests that personal choices made on work devices can expose wider company infrastructure to threats that begin with a film, match or television stream.