Open-access content
Monday 19th January 2009
19 January 2009
Up to 9,000 USB sticks may be lost or forgotten and left in people's pockets each year, only to be discovered when they take their clothes to the local dry cleaners, according to a survey.
The survey, conducted by security firm Credant Technologies, is based on phone interviews with 500 dry cleaners across the UK. They reported that on average they had found two USB sticks during a year. By extrapolation, the total number could be 9,000 given that there are 4,500 dry cleaners, according to the Textile Services Association, noted Credant.?
Many of these devices now have the capacity to store as much as 10,000 Word documents, 11,000 pictures, 500,000 contact details or up to 1.1 million emails. This makes them a target for identity theft by criminals and hackers, explained Credant.
People should be vigilant when downloading information to carry around with them as it does frequently get lost, said Michael Callahan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Credant Technologies. "We conducted this survey to show people how easy it is to lose data, even in their local laundrette and that none of us are infallible. If the data is sensitive or valuable then people should protect this information with encryption so no-one can access the data at any point - as it could easily end up in the wrong hands."?
Dry cleaners in the suburbs, on the commuter belt or based in city centres find the most USB or memory sticks. One dry cleaner in the City of London said he finds one USB stick every two weeks on average. Another cleaner said he has found at least 80 in the past year. ?
Other objects found, according to the survey, include Rolex watches, credit cards, drugs and an envelope filled with diamonds.
A similar survey was conducted by Credant Technologies among London taxi drivers in September. It estimated that just over 6, 000 handheld devices such as laptops, iPods and memory sticks are forgotten at the back of taxis every six months.
Up to 9,000 USB sticks may be lost or forgotten and left in people's pockets each year, only to be discovered when they take their clothes to the local dry cleaners, according to a survey.
The survey, conducted by security firm Credant Technologies, is based on phone interviews with 500 dry cleaners across the UK. They reported that on average they had found two USB sticks during a year. By extrapolation, the total number could be 9,000 given that there are 4,500 dry cleaners, according to the Textile Services Association, noted Credant.?
Many of these devices now have the capacity to store as much as 10,000 Word documents, 11,000 pictures, 500,000 contact details or up to 1.1 million emails. This makes them a target for identity theft by criminals and hackers, explained Credant.
People should be vigilant when downloading information to carry around with them as it does frequently get lost, said Michael Callahan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Credant Technologies. "We conducted this survey to show people how easy it is to lose data, even in their local laundrette and that none of us are infallible. If the data is sensitive or valuable then people should protect this information with encryption so no-one can access the data at any point - as it could easily end up in the wrong hands."?
Dry cleaners in the suburbs, on the commuter belt or based in city centres find the most USB or memory sticks. One dry cleaner in the City of London said he finds one USB stick every two weeks on average. Another cleaner said he has found at least 80 in the past year. ?
Other objects found, according to the survey, include Rolex watches, credit cards, drugs and an envelope filled with diamonds.
A similar survey was conducted by Credant Technologies among London taxi drivers in September. It estimated that just over 6, 000 handheld devices such as laptops, iPods and memory sticks are forgotten at the back of taxis every six months.