New research by Kroll Ontrack suggests 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.

“One of the biggest challenges for businesses today is to understand and manage the huge quantity of data they hold," explains Robert Winter, chief engineer, Kroll Ontrack. "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."

The survey suggests that seven per cent 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,” Winter adds.

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