New research released by security and governance firm, Centennial Software, has found that a massive 66% of all USB flash drive owners have lost their storage devices at one point or another. What’s more, 60% of lost devices have company-critical information on them at the time.
According to Centennial, the low cost and small size of USB flash drives means that users perceive the memory as ‘disposable’, completely disregarding the potential value of the data stored on the device. While companies rush to protect a $1,000 laptop computer, they ignore a $40 USB stick - even though the data contained on it could be worth millions to a competitor or criminal gang.
The survey also found that 20% of MP3 player owners have found mysterious and unknown files on their devices at one point or another - raising the concern over what gets copied to and from company PCs. Finally, nearly a third of all MP3 players are actually using less than half of their total storage space - leaving plenty of room for company files taken from the network…!
