According to research by Mozy, provider of online backup and data access solutions, more items are lost in December than any other month, and as a result businesses are being warned to take extra care to protect their data and property.
The research also found that 70% of people had lost a laptop, smartphone or other data storage device and that items are most at risk at the time of day when people typically leave the office, with loss peaking at 6.00pm and 67.7% of loss happening on weekdays.
Claire Galbois-Alcaix of Mozy, commented:
”December is a busy month for people professionally and socially as many businesses are closing the quarter or year and employees want to enjoy seasonal celebrations with friends and family.
‘But dashing from the office to meet friends with your laptop in hand, or capturing pictures of your night out on your smartphone puts not only the device itself at risk, but the data on it too. In most cases, the devices are replaceable but, often, the data on them is not – so we’re urging all businesses to make sure that their data is backed up as we reach the riskiest time of year.”
The research, carried out by OnePoll in the UK, France, Germany, Ireland and the USA surveyed 3,500 people about their experiences of property loss.
It revealed that globally, 19% of all losses happened on public transport, and companies with staff working in London, Birmingham and Aberdeen need to be most wary according to the results, since the survey discovered that these three cities are the site of more losses than any other places in the UK.
Galbois-Alcaix added:
“Mobility tools, like laptops and smartphones, come into their own at Christmas since we all want the flexibility to attend events such as school plays, Christmas parties and family gatherings.
“Being able to work whenever and wherever you need to is a real benefit. But working on the go can make your data vulnerable if it’s not properly protected. Online backup and data access tools answer both needs and will help businesses to ensure profitability at this time of year.”
