Coworking and Shared Work Spaces Are A Security and Privacy Nightmare

Coworking and shared office spaces are the new normal.  WeWork, one of the coworking space brands, is now, apparently, the largest office space tenant in the United States.

Who are in these coworking spaces are startups and small branches (often 1 or 2 people) of larger companies, among others.

Most of these folks have a strong need for Internet access and these coworking spaces offer WiFi.  Probably good WiFi, but WiFi.  And WiFi is basically a party line, at least for now.

Look for WiFi 6 with WPA 3 over the next couple of years – assuming the place that you are getting your WiFi from upgrades all of their hardware and software.  And YOU do also.

A couple of years ago a guy moved into a WeWork office in Manhattan and was concerned about security given his business, so he did a scan.  What did he find but hundreds of unprotected devices and many sensitive documents.

When he asked WeWork if they knew about it, the answer was yes.

Four years later, nothing has changed.

Fundamentally, it is a matter of money.  And convenience.

But, if you are concerned about security, you need to think about whether you are OK with living in a bit of a glass house.

For WeWork in particular, this comes at a bad time because they are trying to do  – off and on  – an initial public offering and the bad press from publications like Fast Company on this security and privacy issue don’t exactly inspire investor confidence.

Fundamentally, using the Internet at a WeWork office or one of their competitors is about as safe as using the WiFi at a coffee shop that is owned by the mob  and is in a bad part of town.  Except that you are running your business here.

In their defense, WeWork does offer some more secure options (although you might be able to do it yourself for less).  A VLAN costs an extra $95 a month plus a setup fee and a private office network costs $195 a month.  That might double the cost of a one person shared space (a dedicated desk costs between $275 and $600 a month, depending on the location).

And clearly they do not promote the fact that you are operating in a bit of a sewer if you do not choose one of the more expensive options.  The up sell here is not part of their business model.

For users of shared office spaces, like WeWork (but likely anywhere else too, so this is not a WeWork bug), they need to consider if they are dealing with anything private or whether they care whether their computer is open to hackers.  If not, proceed as usual.

If not, then you need to consider your options, make some choices and spend some money.  Sorry.  Source: CNet.

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