65% of companies underestimate USB security risks

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According to GFI Software, an international developer of network security, 65% of companies underestimate the security risks posed by the use of USB sticks, flash drives, iPods and PDAs on company networks.

GFI Software announced the results of a survey conducted among 370 UK companies at the InfoSecurity 2007 tradeshow, which was held at Olympia, London in April.

The research, which was conducted by an independent media company, found that although 49% of UK companies surveyed are concerned about data theft, 65% do not consider the use of these devices on their network as a potential security risk.

Nearly three-quarters of the companies surveyed believed that portable storage devices contributed to a company’s operations by facilitating mobile working and data sharing.

Nearly half of those surveyed said that they did not know how many employees were using USB sticks or iPods at work. Only 37% of respondents monitored portable storage devices as part of their company’s policy and only 22% used hardware or software to control their usage on the network.