93 percent of lost or stolen devices contain business data / lack of basic safety precautions
Derby, UK, November 9, 2015 – Imation Corporation. (NYSE: IMN), a global company for data storage and information security, has published a new study on the risks of mobile working. The study said 44 percent of the surveyed companies, a senior executive have a mobile device in the past twelve months year – about phone, laptop, tablet or USB flash drive – lost. Almost as many companies (39 percent) said that their management a device has been stolen. The problem of data loss affects not only the management level: More than half (54 percent) of the organizations surveyed, a non-executive employee had lost a device; 49 percent reported last year a stolen device. The market research firm Vanson Bourne surveyed for the study 500 IT decision makers in the UK and Germany.
A particular problem is that the vast majority (93 percent) of lost or stolen devices business-related information, such as confidential emails (49 percent), confidential files or documents (38 percent), customer data (24 percent) and financial data contained (15 percent) , Despite these risks, many companies make the study found not even basic safety precautions: Although the majority of organizations surveyed already have guidelines for mobile working, or those planning to put almost a third (32 percent) not found that devices that used outside the workplace be, shall be protected by encryption or passwords. And a quarter of companies (25 percent) does not require that digital files have to be protected outside the office with encryption or passwords.
Overall was more than every third organization that in the past six months a device is stolen or lost – with potentially serious consequences. 37 percent of respondents knew at least one employee in their company, which was occupied due to lost files and business data to any disciplinary procedure, and one-third (32 percent) were aware of at least one person who had lost their jobs in the past year for this reason.
However, companies do still difficult to regulate how and when data must be taken mobile. Almost half (48 percent) of the surveyed IT decision-makers acknowledged that they can not track how employees take data – and 54 percent said that this data could be better protected.
„Despite the constant warnings about data security and almost daily headlines about data loss companies are still unable to protect their intellectual property adequately. The advantages of encryption and password protection are nothing new, but many companies simply do not meet basic safety precautions, „says Nicholas Banks, vice president of EMEA and APAC, IronKey.
„Although companies know that their employees the company policies for mobile working disregard (67 percent), they do not mind. These survey results show a careless handling of company equipment and data. Many employees, top management included the impact of data loss are apparently unaware. However, the employees expect from exactly these executives information and measures that can be used which prevents confidential data falling into the wrong hands, „said Banks continue. „Companies have an obligation, business data and the devices or media on which they are stored to protect.“
About the study
The study was conducted by Vanson Bournce, an independent market research firm for the technology sector. The study included 500 online interviews with IT decision makers in September 2015. All participants work in organizations with 250 or more employees. 250 participants work in the UK, 250 in Germany. The participants in this study come from various industries. The surveys were conducted online in a multistage screening to ensure that only qualified persons to participate therein. Unless otherwise stated, the results are based on the entire sample.
Vanson Bourne is known for well-founded and reliable, based on studies with clear analyzes market research principles and efficient, industry- and cross-market opinion detection in various technical and business areas. For more information, see www.vansonbourne.com.