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UK workers take regular risks with data security
While company managers may be increasingly aware of the importance of protecting their organisation’s data, it seems an alarming number of workers are taking unnecessary risks in this area.
A recently released survey by Fasthosts Internet Ltd revealed that a significant number of UK workers take a somewhat blasé approach to handling corporate data files, leading to the risk of security breaches or the need for the services of data recovery professionals. 1,000 UK workers were questioned about their habits when handling company data, and 37 per cent admitted to taking risks, such as using insecure home computers or laptops for work tasks and removing sensitive data from the office.
25 per cent of those surveyed also admitted to what the study described as “data security sins” at least once during their career, including leaving valuable files in a car overnight, and losing a portable storage device containing work files.
Steve Holford, marketing director at Fasthosts, highlighted the importance of companies taking time to implement clear policies and data-handling systems for staff to use.
“Firms should identify how their staff transfer and handle business documents outside of the work-place, and minimize the risks by providing them with clear advice and a secure and easy to use solution for handling the data,” commented Mr Holford.
Although with the help of hard disk recovery experts, valuable information can often be recovered in the event of hard disk failure, worker error is a significant risk to corporate data. Data recovery experts would echo Mr Holford’s advice that every company should have detailed data-handling procedures in place, ensuring their increasingly mobile workforce knows how best to handle sensitive files.