Symantec researchers intentionally lost 50 smartphones in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ottawa, Canada in public places such as elevators, park benches and food courts. The lost devices contained corporate and personal data such as passwords and email.
Prior to the phones had been left behind, every 1 had been furnished with logging software program to record what files and apps ended up being accessed and GPS tracking switched on to keep track of the device's physical place.
The Symantec researchers found in a recent smartphone study. What's even worse, whoever finds it will likely snoop around looking at photos, emails and other private information, Symantec said.
Individuals had been most likely to access delicate individual and company information stored on them, like password data files, private pictures and e-mail messages, Although 50% from the finders attempted to send back the devices towards the owners listed within the get in touch with file, they nonetheless succumbed towards the enticement to spy about beforehand, Symantec stated. About 89% from the finders viewed individual information and 83% accessed business-related information stored on lost smartphones, Symantec discovered.
None of the smartphones in the study had any kind of password or other security controls enabled to protect the data. About 57% of people who found the phones viewed a file named "saved passwords". About 60% checked personal email inboxes and accessed social networking tools on the phone, and 72% opened a folder marked "private photos."
Considering that only half of the devices were ever returned, users need to consider that if they ever lose their phones, they would wind up exposing all their information, accounts and business data to strangers. Having usb protection could help secure the data.
Organization need to put a guideline in place to address the best way to wipe data before a device is replaced and to work with their employees to have their old deviceswiped before they are disposed of in the secondary market.
Prior to the phones had been left behind, every 1 had been furnished with logging software program to record what files and apps ended up being accessed and GPS tracking switched on to keep track of the device's physical place.
The Symantec researchers found in a recent smartphone study. What's even worse, whoever finds it will likely snoop around looking at photos, emails and other private information, Symantec said.
Individuals had been most likely to access delicate individual and company information stored on them, like password data files, private pictures and e-mail messages, Although 50% from the finders attempted to send back the devices towards the owners listed within the get in touch with file, they nonetheless succumbed towards the enticement to spy about beforehand, Symantec stated. About 89% from the finders viewed individual information and 83% accessed business-related information stored on lost smartphones, Symantec discovered.
None of the smartphones in the study had any kind of password or other security controls enabled to protect the data. About 57% of people who found the phones viewed a file named "saved passwords". About 60% checked personal email inboxes and accessed social networking tools on the phone, and 72% opened a folder marked "private photos."
Considering that only half of the devices were ever returned, users need to consider that if they ever lose their phones, they would wind up exposing all their information, accounts and business data to strangers. Having usb protection could help secure the data.
Organization need to put a guideline in place to address the best way to wipe data before a device is replaced and to work with their employees to have their old deviceswiped before they are disposed of in the secondary market.
About the Author:
Oliver David writes articles for Data Security Weekly and other publications on secure usb drive review.
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