Over 80 per cent of mobile media is unprotected and posing a security threat to mobile working, according to research published today.

While over 82 per cent of 1,117 business users of mobile data questioned in the international study considered protection of their memory media important or very important, the figure matched the total proportion of unencrypted or partially encrypted devices.

Only every fifth mobile storage medium (19.2 per cent) is currently completely encrypted, and just another 18.6 per cent are partially encrypted to protect confidential data.

The research by data security company Utimaco also shows security guidelines covering the storage, processing and transfer of data have only been defined in 7.3 per cent of companies and USB memory sticks are the favourite storage medium (95.6 per cent of respondents), while over half of respondents use memory cards.

Nearly two thirds of respondents value the small data silos as back-up devices and use them for a range of data including customer information, financial figures, contract details and sales targets.

Nadine Szunder, market analyst at Utimaco, said: ‘It is not a new thing for business-critical or personal, confidential data to be misused or sold, but the huge numbers of memory media now in use men that this data is more readily available, and usually without any protection.’

‘This is a feast for criminals to which companies and organisations should no longer be willing to contribute.’

She says many firms have failed to implement security software for memory media because they are concerned it might restrict data exchange with business partners and customers.

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