Company Data - Are You Putting Your Work At Risk?

Technology is developing at such fast rates that companies and their workers' aren't realising how much they are putting their important documents and data at risk from being accessed by third parties. The increased use of mobile devices and file sharing has resulted in private information being more easily accessible to hackers.

A survey of 1000 British office workers revealed that a shocking 37% of employees have put their companies' data at risk at least once. Losing mobile phones on public transport; leaving laptops unattended in cafes and bars and misplacing USB sticks are among the common data sins. Amid the 1000 questioned, 150 employees admit they knowingly lost data.

Many office staff continue their work at home, often storing data on their personal PC. A quarter of the workers surveyed admit they put their firm's files at risk by storing work documents on their computers at home. Common methods for file transferring between home and work PCs include USB devices, which 25% of workers surveyed said they used. Not only are USB sticks easily lost, they also have the ability to easily spread viruses between different computers, exposing their office network to dangerous malware and viruses that can originate from personal devices.

Numerous office workers fail to back-up important files and documents. A staggering 1 in 5 employees confess they have forgotten to back-up vital data; resulting in 10% of workers losing crucial documents following system or hard drive failure. However, when the employees were asked if they had been advised on how to protect data 1 in 10 said they received no software or guidance from their employers.

By backing up files onto encrypted networks as well as storing files in a password protected folder on a hard drive can help improve a business's security. Employees should also enquire to their manager for advice on the best way to transfer their files, should they need to access them from a personal device.

A combination of bad habits, poor organisation and lack of risk knowledge are putting many companies' confidential data in danger. Employers should enforce the importance of data protection to employees and offer them advice and software so their work is safely accessible at home and in the workplace. Employees should also be advised of the risks involving using USB devices and leaving laptops unattended in public places. Any important documents that require printing should be filed away in a safe place to reduce the risk of papers getting lost by generally being unorganised.