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July 7, 2008
12,000 Laptops a Week!
I was amazed at this study:
[17 page PDF]
Executive Summary: "Everyday business travelers are putting the sensitive and confidential data of their organizations at risk when they travel through airports."
1. Business travelers lose more than 12,000 laptops per week in U.S. airports. [!!!]
2. Only 33% of laptops lost and found in airports are reclaimed.
3. Over 70% of business travelers feel rushed when trying to get on their flights and 60%
worry that delays due to security checkpoints will cause them to miss their flight.
The stress of rushing to catch a flight combined with the number of items business travelers
5. Over 34% of business traveler who say they do take steps to protect the sensitive or
confidential information in their laptop computers don’t know how this information is
protected.
6. According to U.S. airport representatives, the most common airport locations where
laptops are lost include security checkpoints (40%) and departure gates (23%).
Recommendations and Conclusion
Lost laptops in airports are a serious issue for business travelers and their companies. As
revealed in this study, very often business travelers’ laptops contain sensitive or confidential
business information that is vulnerable to a data breach.
According to our Cost of Data Breach Study, the average business cost when confidential
personal information is lost or stolen is $197 per record.4 Obviously, even one missing laptop
can become a serious problem for any organization. To avoid having this occur, we recommend
the following simple steps.
Label your laptop. Provide your full contact information so that if the device is found, airport
personnel will be able to reach you or your company quickly.
Allow enough time. Airline travel is a hassle that only gets worse when you don’t allow
enough time. Stupid mistakes can be avoided if you slow down your pace.
Carry less and think ahead. Have a mental strategy when removing laptops and other
possessions prior to screening at a security checkpoint.
Take appropriate security measures to protect your information. Consider the use of
encryption technologies and always backup your system.
Think twice about the information you carry on your laptop. Is it really necessary to have so
much information accessible on your computer?
Know who to call. Airports need to do a better job coordinating the lost and found process,
especially when it concerns the loss of a laptop computer or other data-bearing devices.
Looks like a job for SuperLibrarian! The report is at least a useful one to send to your folks.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at July 7, 2008 11:24 PM