USB sticks a security risk for businesses

Published on 18 May 2007

A new survey has identified USB sticks and other portable information storage devices as a key threat to business security.

The survey, which questioned 370 IT managers at the Infosecurity Expo, showed that 38 percent of respondants viewed such devices as a security risk compared to 24 percent who regarded computer viruses as their top concern.

The sting in the tale was the revelation that despite these acknowledged concerns, 43 percent of businesses had no protocols to restrict the use of such devices.

Meanwhile another survey also carried out at the Infosecurity Expo showed that, of the 320 people questioned, 26% had no security protection for their wireless networks.