09 October 2012

Risk of data loss intensifies as three million employees admit to accidently losing important work information from their mobile device

Nearly one in five employees store work data on removable media

EPSOM UK, 09 October, 2012; New research* by Kroll Ontrack, the leading provider of data recovery, information management and e-disclosure products and services, shows that one in eight (12% or 3.1 million) of the UK’s working population have unintentionally lost work data from their work device within the last 12 months, either through malfunction or corruption.

The number of employees accessing work information from a remote device within UK businesses has soared in recent times, with 10.3 million employees now using personal laptops, tablets and handheld devices for carrying out or storing work data. However, according to Kroll Ontrack research, privacy and security should be major concerns for employers, with employees risking the loss of important work information by using personal devices which are not supplied by their company. 

According to the research, and despite the risks of losing confidential work data, one in five (21% or 5.7 million) UK employees admit that they save critical work information on removable media devices such as flash drives.  This figure increases to 27% for those aged between 25-34.

Employees were asked, “Which of the following devices do you store work data on, such as documents, photos, emails etc?”

I store work data on an employer's desktop computer	28%
I store work data on a removable media device(s) – flash drives, external hard drives, discs, etc	21%
I carry work data on my own laptop or  tablet device	18%
I store work data on my home desktop computer	17%
I carry work data on a laptop or tablet device that is supplied by my employer	10%
I carry work data on my own mobile or handheld device	7%
I store work data on at least one device (mobile/laptop/flash drive)	62%

Multiple responses permitted

“Robert Winter, chief engineer, Kroll Ontrack, said “One of the biggest challenges for businesses today is to understand and manage the huge quantity of data they hold.  Unfortunately, due to an increasingly mobile workforce, the risk of losing confidential data is heightened exponentially, unless the correct preventative action is taken. As a result, businesses are not only jeopardised financially but also run the risk of damaging their reputation.

“Worryingly, 7% of UK employees (1.9 million) are carrying around confidential work data on their own mobile or handheld device which has not been supplied by their employer. This research clearly shows that organisations need to do much more to help protect their data.  Companies must implement thorough policies and procedures to help staff understand rules and security features surrounding BYOD.

Kroll Ontrack advises that organisations have a clear data recovery plan in place. When looking for a data recovery provider, make sure the selected provider is willing and able to work with you step-by-step, keeping you apprised of the data recovery process and what can actually be recovered. It is also advisable to find a data recovery provider that has the resources to perform emergency, remote or onsite recoveries and from systems that are proprietary or unique to your environment.

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About Kroll Ontrack Inc. 
Kroll Ontrack provides technology-driven services and software to help legal, corporate and government entities as well as consumers manage, recover, search, analyse, produce and present data efficiently and cost-effectively. In addition to its award-winning suite of software, Kroll Ontrack provides data recovery, data destruction, electronic discovery, document review and ESI consulting. Kroll is a subsidiary of Altegrity, an industry-leading provider of information solutions.

* Kroll Ontrack commissioned ICM Research to conduct a survey with 2,000 employees from across the UK between 10th and 12th August 2012.

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Media Contacts:
Paul Griffin, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, +44 (0) 207 282 1041 paul.griffin@citigatedr.co.uk
Toby Clark, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, +44 (0) 207 282 2857 toby.clark@citigatedr.co.uk