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Laptop security fails to keep up with flexible lifestyles

~ Have laptop, will travel? Absolute® Software survey questions risk to sensitive data ~

September 17, 2009

Over 80 per cent of white-collar workers regularly travel with their company laptops, according to research conducted on behalf of leading laptop security provider, Absolute Software.

In a survey of business professionals, 41 per cent of respondents confirmed that they take their business laptop out of the office on a daily basis. A further 42 per cent leave work with their laptop at least once a week.

Though the vast majority of respondents (83 per cent) sensibly helped protect confidential data by remembering their laptop passwords, a worrying 24 per cent admitted to having left their laptop unattended while travelling.

Another threat to data security highlighted by the survey was the fact that 24 per cent of respondents had left their laptop in the care of strangers while in transit.

A significant 12 per cent of professionals polled had suffered the stress and anxiety of having lost their laptop while on the move. A further one per cent shame-facedly confessed to having mislaid a company laptop ‘a few times’ – costing the business time and money to replace the hardware, not to mention the potentially greater expense of a data breach.

Executive quote

“These results prove that the work/life divide is blurring, but IT security is failing to recognise this,” said Stephen Midgley, Vice President at Absolute Software. “When asked the question ‘Do you take more care of your business laptop than your personal laptop?’, a staggering 49 per cent of respondents said they treated them the same, despite the qualitative difference between personal and commercial data.”

Midgley continued: “With laptops continuing to increase in popularity among business executives AND criminals alike, the survey shows that though human carelessness can be reduced, errors will and do occur, making some form of additional remote security essential.”

About the company

About Absolute Software
Absolute® Software is a leader in tracking, managing and securing mobile devices for better data protection, easier IT asset management and managed computer theft recovery. With our Computrace® and Computrace® LoJack® for Laptops™ solutions, large enterprises, small businesses and individuals can protect their computing devices and data over the internet.

Absolute solutions help you reduce IT asset management costs and deter theft. Plus, you can know sooner if a device is missing, so you can remotely delete data, get the device back and prove data was not accessed – helping you avoid costly regulatory fines, negative publicity and lost business.
For more information about Absolute Software and Computrace, visit www.absolute.com and blog.absolute.com .

Contact details

Lisa Gillingham or Ellen Spenceley at LEWIS PR
absolutesoftwareuk@lewispr.com, 0117 315 8584

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Laptop security fails to keep up with flexible lifestyles

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